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I have had white spot lesions for years, but I really wanted to fix them. I still do. Originally, my dentist said I should be happy they are healthy. But, I pressed him and he finally agreed to help. He suggested a tooth mousse and then follow up with teeth whitening after a few months. Things don’t seem to be improving. Am I missing a step?
Angela
Dear Angela,
You are not missing a step, nor should you feel ashamed of wanting a beautiful smile. It sounds like your dentist means well but is your basic bread and butter dentist and is in over his head about your particular situation. You should know right away that teeth whitening will not help in this situation. What it does well is whitening teeth (obviously), and it can make someone’s smile look decades younger. However, it will whiten your teeth evenly, which includes the white spots. Because of that, they will still be whiter than the rest of your teeth.
What I will give him some points for is the tooth mousse. This can be useful in helping with decalcification. But it will not work well on its own. If you only have a few white spots, than you can have dental bonding done. This uses a composite resin to cover the white spots and can be made to blend into the remainder of the tooth’s surface. Bonding does have to be replaced every few years because they will eventually pick up stains.
However, If the white spots are more extensive, then you will be better served with having porcelain veneers placed. They will cover the entire surface of your tooth. They have other benefits as well. First, they are much more stain resistant than dental bonding. In fact, they are more stain resistant than your natural teeth. Second, they last significantly longer. When well cared for they can last decades as opposed to years. Third, these are what the Hollywood celebrities use for a complete smile makeover. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth all at the same time.
One word of caution here. I would not have your family dentist do this. Teeth whitening is the easiest of the cosmetic procedures a dentist can do, yet your dentist had no understanding of how it works. Both of these options I gave you for your white spots are advanced cosmetic dental procedures. For these, I would go to an advanced cosmetic dentist. Otherwise, you’ll be disappointed in the results and end up a cosmetic dentistry horror story.
This blog is brought to you by a caring cosmetic dentist in Baton Rouge, Dr. John Theriot.