I have some white spot lesions on my teeth. My dentist has prescribed a two step process. First, I’m doing something called tooth mousse. Then, two months from that time, I’m supposed to have teeth whitening done. I just want to make sure this is going to work before I get my hopes up. If not, then is there a better option for me? I don’t have any reason to think this except a gut feeling, but I got the impression my dentist was just trying something, but wasn’t convinced it would work.
Nathan
Dear Nathan,
Your gut feeling is correct. I would say your dentist, however, is only halfway correct. Tooth mousse is helpful for remineralizing teeth. Decalcification is often the reason those spots show up to begin with. However, using teeth whitening will not help white spots. Teeth are whitened evenly, which will make the white spots more obvious.
Usually, tooth mousse is paired with microabrasion or dental bonding. Microabrasion uses an acid-pumice slurry which is rubbed onto the surface of the teeth, and many white spots then disappear. Dental bonding uses a composite bonding to cover the area after the white spots are gently shaved.
These solutions work best when there are just one or two small white spots. The picture above has too many white spots for either of these to really be effective.
When There are Too Many White Spots
In that case, I’d recommend porcelain veneers. These use small wafers of porcelain to cover the entire surface of your teeth. This is what celebrities use to get those Hollywood smile makeovers.
No matter what you do, you will need an expert cosmetic dentist to do the work. I could tell that your dentist is trying their best but, as I mentioned in the beginning, your gut feeling is right. They’re guessing and in over their head.
Teeth whitening is the easiest of the cosmetic procedures and your dentist did not understand the principles about how that works. The other procedures are all extremely advanced and would require post-doctoral training. I would look for someone who has that training. If you can’t tell what kind of training they have, be sure to check their smile gallery to get an idea of what type of results they get. If they don’t have a smile gallery, they do not do enough cosmetic dental work to treat your issue.
This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Kalamazoo Dr. Susan Dennis.