Solution for White Spots on Teeth

I’ve got some white spots on my teeth. My dentist provided some tooth mousse and wants me to get my teeth whitened. If whitening will solve the problem, do I really need the mousse?

Kathleen

Dear Kathleen,

Teeth whitening is the worst thing you can do to aid with the white spots on your teeth. The whitening gel will whiten your entire tooth evenly. That means while your teeth will get whiter, the spots will get whiter too. Often that can make the difference even more visible.

White spots mean there is decalcification on your tooth. It is the precursor to decay. Tooth Mousse is designed to remineralize the tooth and help strengthen it to prevent decay. His idea for the mousse was good. It is important that the tooth has the minerals it needs to stay healthy, so I would definitely do that part of his instructions.

Without it, you’ll end up with decayed teeth.

However, tooth mousse is rarely a solution on its own and is often done in tandem with another treatment—dental bonding. This cosmetic procedure uses a composite resin to cover the spots and match them to the remainder of your teeth.

When Teeth Whitening Helps with White Spots

My only hope that your dentist knows what he is talking about with prescribing teeth whitening to you is if he recommended it as a precursor to the bonding. While the resin can be made to match any color of tooth, the color is permanent. If you decide to whiten your teeth later, the teeth will whiten but not the bonding material. This is because whitening gel only works on natural tooth structure. In order to get them to match you’d have to have the bonding remade.

Getting your teeth whitened first allows the dentist to match the resin to the color you’ll want permanently. This saves you money in the long run.

However, if he wasn’t planning on doing any bonding and is just recommending teeth whitening as a solution, I’d say it was time to find a new dentist. Preferably one who understands the basic principles of his career.

Best of luck to you.
This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. David Newkirk.