Hilton Head Island, South CarolinaExisting Patients Call (843) 342-6900
Request An AppointmentRead Reviews

White Spots on Teeth

Posted on by .

I have had white spots on my front teeth since I was a kid. In images, it looks good, but in person it is embarrassing. Is there a way to get the rest of my teeth to match the white parts? Would using Zoom whitening work?

Callie

Dear Callie,

patient under the Zoom whitening light

While Zoom Whitening is a very powerful whitening procedure, it will not help in your particular case. Instead, it will whiten your teeth evenly, which will still mean you will have some spots on your teeth whiter than others. This is not what your goal is.

There are two types of white spots on teeth. I”m going to talk about the kind yours are NOT first so that people who are dealing with it will not think what I am going to explain to you is the right solution for them.

White Spots After Braces

When white spots appear after braces are removed, they are almost always decalcification spots. It is hard to get the teeth cleaned thoroughly with all those wires and brackets. When you don’t the teeth become decalcified. These are pre-cavities so it is important to treat this.

The proper treatment, in this case, is to have some microabrasion done in order to remove the decalcification and then have dental bonding done to repair the breach. This is not something that your average dentist can do. You would need an expert cosmetic dentist. We’ll talk more about how to find those in a moment.

Now, back to what you are dealing with, Callie. Your white spots are not from decalcification because you’ve had them your entire life. The best way for you to get uniform color on your teeth for this is with porcelain veneers. Again, like the dental bonding, this will require an expert cosmetic dentist.

Finding an Expert Cosmetic Dentist

Doing smile makeovers, along with other cosmetic procedures are not taught in dental school. Unfortunately, there is not a recognized cosmetic dentistry specialty either. This makes it challenging for the patient to know who has invested in the post-doctoral training necessary to do a good job.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) recognized this issue and started an accreditation program to both help train dentists and give patients a guide as to who has done the work. If I were having cosmetic work done, I would use an AACD accredited dentist. Bear in mind this is different than just being a member of the AACD. When you go to their site to find a dentist, make certain you checkmark that you are looking for an accredited dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

Zoom Whitening for White Spots??

Posted on by .

I want to get a quick second opinion. My daughter recently got her braces off and there are white spots on her teeth. Our dentist is suggesting teeth whitening. I want to get this done quickly so she isn’t self-conscious. Would Zoom Whitening be the best way? I heard this can be done in one day.

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

close up of the smile of a girl wearing braces

I’m glad you wrote. Your dentist has given you very bad advice. The white spots on your daughter’s teeth aren’t a teeth whitening issue. These spots mean there is decalcification on your daughter’s teeth. While fairly common on people after braces, it does need to be treated. Decalcification weakens the tooth and puts it at serious risk for decay.

Unfortunately, teeth whitening is the wrong solution. I’m not sure why your dentist recommended it. Teeth whitening works evenly on the tooth. The entire tooth will whiten but the spots will still be there and different from the remainder of the tooth. Even worse, you still haven’t dealt with the decalcification.

There are a couple of ways to deal with this. The first is by trying Tooth Mousse. This is a product designed for the recalcification of teeth. It is an inexpensive way to try to heal the teeth. However, it’s not likely to be fast.

The fastest way to treat this would be to cover the spots with dental bonding. However, you should be aware this needs to be done by an expert cosmetic dentist. I wouldn’t use your dentist. He currently doesn’t even have a rudimentary understanding of even the easiest cosmetic procedure— teeth whitening. Dental bonding has to be done freehand, so it will require an artist. I’d suggest an AACD accredited dentist if you can find one in your area.

What Zoom Whitening Will Do

I don’t want to ignore your question on Zoom Whitening, though. Zoom whitening does work in one appointment. Like traditional teeth whitening, though, it will whiten your daughter’s teeth evenly. If your daughter is currently unhappy with her natural tooth color, it will benefit her by making her teeth whiter.

However, it won’t get rid of the spots. That will still require dental bonding. My suggestion, in that case, is to use Zoom to get her teeth the color she wants, then have the dental bonding done. The color of bonding is permanent so doing the whitening first will enable her to get her bonding done the correct color up front.

This blog is brought to you by Hilton Head Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Bonnie Rothwell.

©2006-2024 Bonnie J. Rothwell, DMD, AAACD. • All Rights Reserved

Website Design and SEO by Infinity Dental Web

Privacy Policy