Whitening White Spots

Teeth Whitening trays

I have a question about my white spots. I developed them after I had my braces in my late teen years. While I was thrilled to have straight teeth, the white spots make me self conscious about my smile. I asked my dentist if there was anything I can do about them and her only response was, “Why? They’re healthy. Don’t mess with healthy.” I appreciate that she isn’t pushing unnecessary work on me. However, I’d really like a smile I could be proud of. If I found a dentist who did teeth whitening would that work to make the other parts of my teeth as white as the spots are?

Lexi

Dear Lexi,

Your dentist has the fix-it mentality that is common among general dentists, which says, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” She is probably very good at fixing teeth, but would not be a good fit for what you need.

I’m glad you wrote before just going to get teeth whitening done because that would not be the best solution for you. Teeth whitening will whiten your teeth, but it will whiten your teeth evenly. That means the white spots will get whiter along with the rest of your teeth. In a way, that will make them even more noticeable.

What would solve the problem, depending on how large your white spots are, is dental bonding. However, you will need to see a skilled cosmetic dentist for this who has a lot of experience doing beautiful dental bonding work. It is not an easy procedure and has to be done freehand.

If your spots are very large, I would instead recommend porcelain veneers. Again, this is an advanced cosmetic procedure that is not taught in dental school. Your dentist would not be the one to do this You’ll need a great cosmetic dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.