Tag Archives: Brown Spots on Teeth

Brown Spots on Teeth

I am trying to figure out if getting professional teeth whitening will help the brown spots on my teeth. My dentist doesn’t offer teeth whitening but she’s been helping me with all the over-the-counter brands we can find. None of them have helped. Now she is thinking about grinding down the brown spots until we get to white, but has admitted she isn’t sure how far down she’ll have to grind. Before I do this, which admittedly makes me nervous, I’d like to double-check if the professional whitening would be better.

Callie

Dear Callie,

I am glad you wrote. I do not recommend that you allow this dentist to experiment on you. Her heart may be in the right place, but she does not have the knowledge or skills to deal with this and she can end up doing some serious damage to your teeth.

Teeth whitening does not help the type of tooth stains you are dealing with. There are two possible solutions. The first option is dental bonding. This has to be done freehand. Depending on the severity and the amount of the stains it may not be a cost-effective option.

porcelain veneer being placed

This leads me to your second option, porcelain veneers. These tiny wafers of porcelain can cover the brown spots, but they can also give you a complete smile makeover, changing the shape, size, and color of your teeth all at the same time.

As I mentioned earlier, your dentist is not qualilfied to deal with your situation. Teeth whitening is one of the easiest, least complicated type of cosmetic procedures there are.

The two procedures we are talking about now are much more advanced. You will need to find a different dentist to do this. One way to know if they are a decent cosmetic dentist is to look at their smile gallery and see if the before and after images are beautiful.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

Whitening brown spots

I’ve had brown spots on my teeth since I was a child and have finally gotten to the place financially where I can do something about it. My dentist has tried whitening my teeth, but it just makes it look worse. Do you have another recommendation?

Alicia S.- Broken Arrow, OK

Alicia,

Teeth whitening never works on brown spots. They will always whiten the teeth surrounding the brown spots, making the spots actually look darker.  However, there is definitely something else you can do. You could use dental bonding or porcelain veneers. Either one will help with the brown spots on your teeth. However, I want to stress that you should not use your current dentist to do either of these procedures.

Teeth whitening is a basic cosmetic procedure and she didn’t understand how it works. Porcelain veneers and dental bonding are much more advanced procedures. It will be a disaster if you let a beginner do the procedure. I’m not saying he or she isn’t a good general dentist. You can still go to that office for your general dentistry procedures. But, for the cosmetic procedures you need to find an expert cosmetic dentist.

Look on the mynewsmile.com website. They recommend cosmetic dentists that are qualified by state. You’ll be safe using anyone on that site.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.

How can i treat dental fluorosis without veneers?

I have access fluoride that is damaging my teeth, which is like a white dot on my front tooth. Since it is permanent I wondered if there’s any other way to treat that without veneering. Can crest white strips or any other tooth whitening product remove that or make it less visible. What food should I eat and what food should I quit?

Thanks, Ericka

Dear Ericka,

Fluorosis happens when are baby and permanent teeth are developing under the gums. Once teeth are erupted they can’t develop fluorsosis any longer so you don’t need to worry about avoiding certain foods or eating anything special. Just remember that foods high in sugar or liquids we drink that contain acid like soda, Gatorade, and some juices can cause tooth decay so it is always recommended to limit stuff like this in your diet.

Fluorosis that is severe makes your teeth pitted and the outer layer of enamel is lost which make teeth very susceptible to tooth decay. It sounds like you have a mild form of fluorosis which is common and not damaging to the teeth. We understand that the appearance of your teeth is a concern and will share with you some advice on how to treat your condition.

Whitening your teeth will make the whites spots even whiter so we advise you not to do that. Treatment options vary and depend on how severe the condition is and what you can afford. Abrasion is when the enamel is softened and abraded with pumice to change the appearance of the tooth. This is the least expensive however does not work in all cases. You also have the option to have composite bonding placed. This involves roughening the surface of the damaged enamel, etching the tooth, and then a composite resin (white filling) is placed on the surface of the tooth to match the rest of your teeth. The last option would be a porcelain veneer, which is the most expensive however looks like your natural teeth. Discuss with your dentist which option would work for your particular situation. If your dentist doesn’t specialize in cosmetic dentistry have them refer you to someone that does.

Post courtesy of Dr. Malone, Lafayette Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist