I have had white spots on my teeth most of my life. I have always been embarrassed by them and really wanted to fix them. When I talked to my dentist about my concerns, his response was that my teeth are very healthy and given that I’m “only in my late twenties I should probably not mess with something that doesn’t have a problem. Why mess with them and risk a problem?” Is there a way for me to fix this or will I really be risking my teeth? Maybe teeth whitening? I don’t think that damages teeth, but I’m wondering if it will be possible for the gel to get them all the same color? Will the white spots get whiter, too? That will sort of defeat the purpose in my case.
Camille
Dear Camille,
An example of white spots on teeth
There are basically two main types of dentists. Those who have an engineering mindset. They got into their field because they like to fix things. Another type likes to fix things as well, but also cares about the aesthetics. They want to help people to have healthy AND beautiful teeth. It sounds like you have a dentist with more of the engineering only mindset.
No, you will not damage your teeth by making them look more attractive, as long as you go to a dentist who knows what they are doing. While teeth whitening is normally a wonderful way to inexpensively improve your smile, you are correct that it will not work for your particular situation. As you discerned, it will whiten the entire tooth, so the white spots will get whiter along with the rest of your teeth.
There are two possible good solutions for you. Which one you use will depend on the surface area of the white spots. Both will require you to used a skilled cosmetic dentist. If you just have a few small spots, you can get away with using dental bonding. If the surface is greater, then I would recommend porcelain veneers. They are more expensive, but they will last much longer and can do more than just cover the white spots. They can change anything you want about the teeth, including the shape, size, and color.
I hope this helps. Choose the dentist to do these carefully. Your dentist would not be a good option.
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