I have quite a few white spots on my teeth. My dentist has provided me with some Tooth Mousse and said if that doesn’t work, we’ll follow up with teeth whitening after the quarantine is over. Has your experience shown this to be effective or should I expect to need the whitening?
Lana
Dear Lana,
Professional Teeth Whitening Trays
I’m concerned about the treatment your dentist is prescribing for you. While the Tooth Mousse can be a good idea, it doesn’t work alone. Often, white spots are a pre-cursor to decay. The Tooth Mousse is designed to remineralize those spots to help keep them from turning into decay. However, it has never made a claim that it would help with the appearance of the teeth. That being said, it is still a good idea to use it and help with that remineralization, especially now when you can’t get into the dentist during this quarantine period for a cleaning.
His second suggestion, following up with teeth whitening, is completely wrong and shows a profound lack of understanding for one of the simplest cosmetic procedures around. Tooth bleaching will whiten your entire tooth structure, evenly. In reality, it will make the white spots more obvious because they will get whiter along with the remainder of your teeth.
The Best Solution for White Spots
There are two good solutions for white spots.
The first is microabrasion. With this procedure, an acid pumice is rubbed carefully onto the teeth causing many white spots to disappear. The second is dental bonding. Here your dentist will file down the spot and fill it with a composite resin that matches the color of your teeth.
Both of the above procedures require an excellent cosmetic dentist. Based on what I’ve heard so far, your current dentist would not be my recommendation. Instead, I’m going to suggest you look for a dentist who is AACD accredited. These dentists are proven for their technical knowledge as well as their artistry.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.