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Fixing My White Spots

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I have always had white spots on my front teeth. I’m in my mid-twenties now and really want to have a smile that does not embarrass me. But, when I talked to my dentist about it, he assures me that my teeth are healthy and I should not mess with them. When I brought it up again at my next appointment he sighed and said, “If it’s bugging you that much, just whiten them.” I did, but that seemed to only serve to make the white spots brighter. What do I do now?

Kelly

Dear Kelly,

Before and After Dental Bonding repairing a chipped tooth

 

When I read your story, I rolled my eyes. Your dentist is likely a decent family dentist but he has no idea what he is doing when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. As you discovered, teeth whitening is not the correct solution for this. When you whiten your teeth, it does so evenly. This means that while your teeth will whiten, so will the spots.

There are two possible solutions for you with this depending on how severe or widespread your white spots are. If there is just a small amount of white spots on the tips of your teeth, then you could get away with dental bonding. The example shown above is of dental bonding used to repair a chipped tooth, but it can also be used to cover white spots.

If you are looking at a larger surface area, then you would be better served with porcelain veneers. This can cover the whole surface of your teeth. It can also do more than even out the color if you were interested in that. Veneers are the go-to for celebrity smile makeovers. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth. However, they are more costly than bonding.

One thing to be aware of is that you will not want your current dentist to do either of those procedures. Both are advanced cosmetic dentistry. As he doesn’t even understand basic teeth whitening principles, which is the absolutely easiest form of cosmetic dentistry, he is not qualified to do the advanced procedures. Otherwise, you will end up with a cosmetic dentistry horror story.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Marion.

How to Get a Cheap Smile Makeover

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I went to my dentist about my discolored teeth. He’s suggesting I do composite bonding on them to make them look better. I had a chip repaired with that once and the bonding does not quite match the rest of my tooth. I’m assuming it will match if he puts it over the whole tooth. The only thing I’m worried about is the dental bonding that I have is already stained and I’ve only had it for a few years. Does this mean I have to get it done again every few years? I was looking at porcelain veneers, but they are super expensive. Is there any way to get a cheap smile makeover that looks good?

Sammie

Dear Sammie,

Images before and after a dental bonding repair.

I would not have all of your teeth covered with composite bonding. As you noticed, it doesn’t last very long. Plus, if your dentist could not match the chip repair to the rest of your tooth, there is little chance that your smile makeover will look nice. I have some other suggestions for you instead. First, if the only thing wrong with your teeth is discoloring, then the easiest (and cheapest) treatment is to have teeth whitening done. Of course, you will have to have the dental bonding replaced.  I would not have that done by your dentist. If the first repair didn’t match the tooth, the next one is not likely to either.

Directly above is a picture of a chipped tooth repair done correctly. You can see that there is no way to tell the difference between the dental bonding and the rest of the tooth. This is what a correctly done bonding repair would look like. You will want to have the teeth whitening done first. This is important. That way the dental bonding replacement can be made to match your new, shiny white teeth. This is the way I would recommend getting your smile upgraded if the only thing wrong with your teeth is the discoloration.

Complete Smile Makeover

If there are other things about your smile that you want to change, then porcelain veneers are the way to go. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth all at the same time. As you mentioned, this is not cheap. If do decide you want this, I would not try to find the cheapest dentist. I would try to find the best dentist. What you’ll want to do is save up for it. When well taken care of, porcelain veneers can last your lifetime.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Should I Buy Dental Veneers Online?

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I want to fix my discolored and uneven teeth. My dentist is suggesting doing  bonding on the ten top teeth for $2000. My concern is that I had a chipped tooth that I had my dentist fix with composite bonding a few years ago. It looked pretty bad and the new part of the tooth with the composite did not match the rest of the tooth. I’m still stuck with this and am worried that the rest of my teeth will be problematic if he does it. I spoke with him about porcelain veneers instead and that is pretty pricey. I can get them online a lot cheaper. Would that be the better option for me?

Breanna

Dear Breanna,

Before and After Dental Bonding repairing a chipped tooth

First, do not do the composite bonding, even though it is cheaper. I’ll get to the online veneers in a moment. When composite dental bonding is done correctly, then the results can look perfectly natural, as seen above. However, it has to be done by a dentist with the right training and skills. Both porcelain veneers and dental bonding are advanced dental procedures that require post-doctoral training. It does not sound like your dentist has this training.

Usually dental bonding when done over the full surface of the tooth, as your procedure would need would cost a LOT more than your dentist is asking because it has to be done freehand and would need more chair time. This gives me additional concerns about his skill level or understanding of the procedure. You didn’t mention the porcelain veneers price, but I would expect them to be quite expensive as well.

If you get online veneers, the one thing you will have going for you is that they are removable if you hate them. These do not get permanently bonded on your teeth the way porcelain veneers done by a skilled cosmetic dentist will be. These are not really made out of porcelain either. These online veneers are usually made of acrylic and do not look like natural teeth. They’re better suited to a photo shoot or a one night event.  If you want a beautiful smile, this is not the way to go. If you want something okay that you can pop in and out, this will do just fine.

If a gorgeous smile is what you ultimately desire, I suggest starting with teeth whitening. Bear in mind, the chip you had repaired will not whiten with the remainder of your teeth. It sounds like that needed to be redone anyway, which leads me to the second thing I want to suggest. Find a truly skilled cosmetic dentist. They can repair your bonding. Then, find out how much they charge for porcelain veneers. It will be expensive, but the teeth whitening will dramatically improve your smile and give you time to save up for any further work you may want done.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

 

Covering Tetracycline Stains if You Can’t Afford Porcelain Veneers

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I have had very discolored teeth since my childhood. They said it was because of some medication I took as a child. When I was in high school my parents spent practically everything they had to get me dental bonding. Now that I am older the bonding is completely worn out. I know the better solution is porcelain veneers, but I cannot afford that. Dental bonding is not much less. Is there any chance there are newer procedures that have improved which could help me get a prettier smile without porcelain veneers?

Mandy

Dear Mandy,

teeth bleaching trays

Teeth Bleaching Trays

 

The medication you took as a child was likely tetracycline. If taken while your teeth are still forming, then it can cause brown stains on your teeth. If you cannot afford porcelain veneers to this and you have existing bonding you have options, but it depends on how the dental bonding was done.

If the dental bonding was placed over intact enamel, then there are sandpaper disks that can be used to remove the outdated bonding. It’s not too hard to do if they have training. In fact, some states will allow a dental hygienist to do it. If your state allows that, the fee should be a bit lower, which could save you more money.

Once the old bonding is removed, have your dentist make for you some custom-fitted teeth whitening trays like the ones pictured above. Then you will simply use some professional strength teeth whitening gel in the trays. You will have to be persistent and it will take a while, but you can get your teeth significantly whiter. They won’t be as beautiful as they would with well done porcelain veneers, but you will no longer be embarrassed by your teeth.

Be aware you will want to stick with the tray and gel approach. Don’t let your dentist talk you into something like Zoom Whitening or Laser teeth whitening. While these are stronger, you would require so many treatments that it would quickly get too expensive. Just persevere with the gel and you will get results.

If, however, the dentist removed some of your tooth enamel before placing the dental bonding, then there is no other solution except for porcelain veneers. In that case, I would just wait and save up to have the porcelain veneers done. Don’t try to save money by using just a basic family dentist. Save up to do it right. Make sure the dentist has post-doctoral porcelain veneers training. I’d also check their smile gallery to make sure they can produce artistic results. Tetracycline cases are one of the most advanced cosmetic cases a dentist can do so you want to make sure they have the skills to do it well.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Teeth Whitening and Brown Spots

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I have had brown spots on my front teeth ever since my adult teeth came in. I have good hygiene. I’ve been told the spots are from a fever I had as a child. Under the supervision of my dentist we have tried every single over the counter whitening product available. Unfortunately, all it does is make the area around the brown spots whiter which makes the spots look even darker. My dentist is suggesting that she grind off the brown spots now. I’m a little worried about this plan. First, I’m sure it will hurt. Second, she is not certain how much of the tooth she will have to remove. Do you think if we tried professional strength whitening, we’d have any more success? She doesn’t offer teeth whitening but would be willing to refer me. I think I’d rather try that first than the grinding thing.

Maria

Dear Maria,

before and after a dental bonding repair

While I am sure your dentist has the best of intentions and is trying to help you, she is out of her depth here. Please don’t let her expirement on your teeth any longer. Teeth whitening, even professional teeth whitening will not work in a situation such as yours. As you discovered with the over-the-counter whitening products. The bleaching ingredients only work on natural tooth structure. That is why you ended up with those mixed results.

The solution to this is some gentle microabrasion on the brown spots and then to cover the area with dental bonding. This is a composite resin that is shaped and bonded to your teeth. Unfortunately, your current dentist will not be able to do this. Teeth whitening is the most basic (simple) of the cosmetic procedures. On the other hand, dental bonding is an advanced cosmetic procedure that requires a significant amount of training.

In your place, I would look for someone with post-doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. Be sure and ask to see before and after images of dental bonding cases they have personally done to ensure that they can make the results look blended and natural.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Pain with Teeth Whitening

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I’ve been whitening my teeth for several weeks with a home whitening kit. The last few days, though, I’ve started having a zing of pain that lasts for several seconds and then stops. It is always on the tooth where I had a dental bonding repair quite a few years ago. Could the teeth whitening be eating away at the dental bonding?

Nadia

Dear Nadia,

teeth bleaching trays

Teeth Bleaching Trays

I am sorry for the pain you are experiencing. The good news is I do not think teeth whitening is damaging the dental bonding. There has never been any evidence that whitening gel does any damage to bonding agents and it both have been around for a while, as well as used together. The more likely scenario is that a part of your dental bonding has come off leaving part of the tooth exposed and sensitive.

I am assuming that you are doing this home teeth whitening under the supervision of your dentist. My recommendation is you pause the whitening for a few days, call your dentist and let him know what is going on. He can track down where the exposure is and place a protective agent there to re-cover the spot. Then you can continue with your teeth whitening as you normally would, but this time pain free.

You should be aware that dental bonding doesn’t last as long as something like porcelain veneers. For something like a small chip repair, that is fine. Just know that you will need to replace it at some point or it will begin to pick up stains. When it does, teeth whitening won’t fix it. The whitening agents only work on natural tooth structure. The bonding will just have to be replaced.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

White Spots After Braces

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My daughter had braces for almost three years. When they were removed, we noticed white spots on her teeth. We spoke to our dentist about it and he suggested we just have her teeth whitened to even it out. The problem is, it didn’t even them out. Her teeth are whiter, but so are the spots. What do we do now?

Lacey

Dear Lacey,

A professionally-made take-home custom tray for teeth whitening.

While I am certain your dentist meant well, he does not really understand how teeth whitening works. As you have discovered, teeth whitening will whiten the tooth structure evenly. It is not designed to even out color.

Let’s start with what those white spots are and then I will give you the next step to take. When you have white spots after braces, those are decalcification spots— pre-cursors to decay. This is fairly common after braces, especially in children and teenagers because those metal wires and brackets are difficult to get around when you are brushing your teeth. That is just one of the reasons I often recommend Invisalign to my patients instead of braces. These do not have any metal wires and brackets. Plus, they are removable, which makes oral hygiene a breeze.

The correct way to deal with these is to have a cosmetic dentist gently remove the white spots with some microabrasion. Then, he or she will recover the area with a composite dental bonding. I am going to suggest you don’t go to your regular dentist for this. It is a rather advanced cosmetic procedure, way more advanced than teeth whitening. Plus, it has to be done freehand. You really need someone who has expertise to do this. One thing to do is check out their smile gallery. Look specifically at their dental bonding cases. If you like the results you see, that will be a safe dentist for you to see. One word of caution. Double check that the images are cases the dentist has done and not just stock photos.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Porcelain Veneers or Invisalign?

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I have been saving up for quite some time to get my smile makeover done. There’s nothing too major. I want the color whiter, there are some chips here and there, and I have one slightly crooked front tooth. It’s not crooked enough where I ever considered braces. However, my dentist is suggesting I have Invisalign done before getting the porcelain veneers. He said that way there wouldn’t be any need for tooth preparation because he’s using Lumineers. I am not too keen on the idea of adding another 9 months to my smile makeover. Is this completely necessary? I thought porcelain veneers could make a tooth look straight. Am I misunderstanding anything?

Patricia

Dear Patricia,

invisible braces

Bear in mind that I haven’t examined you, but I am skeptical of what your dentist is telling you. In almost all cases, you would either do porcelain veneers or Invisalign–not both. You had the right idea that porcelain veneers can make your teeth look straight. My guess is your dentist is trying to get you to do the Invisalign because he doesn’t know how to shape teeth with porcelain veneers.

He also suggested Lumineers for your case, which is a brand of porcelain veneers highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being “easy to place” because they don’t require tooth preparation. However, in most cases, Lumineers end up looking bulky without some tooth prep. Not to mention inexperienced cosmetic dentists do not generally know how to produce beautiful results. Smile makeovers aren’t taught in dental school.

At this point, you have two choices if you want to get porcelain veneers, I would get them but with a different dentist. Look at their smile galleries to make sure you like the type of results they get. You want to know that they can produce beautiful, natural-looking smiles. Also, make sure they have some type of beautiful smile guarantee.

A second option is to do get Invisalign or another brand of invisible braces to straighten your teeth and whiten your teeth simultaneously using the clear aligners as teeth whitening trays. This will be significantly less expensive than porcelain veneers, but will take longer. You mentioned a few chips on your teeth. You didn’t mention how many or how large, but in most cases, these are repaired with some dental bonding.

Truthfully, wanting all three things repaired, which is what would be necessary for a complete result, the porcelain veneers will be a better idea. I just don’t think your current dentist is the one to do it. He sounds to be in over his head but not wanting to admit it.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David P. Marion.