I just finished my braces and my teeth have white spots on them. It’s pretty embarrassing and my friends have pointed it out to me, so I know it is noticeable. Getting braces was pretty expensive. I want to cover the white spots, but I don’t want to ask my mom about it if it is going to be way too expensive for her. She’s a single mom and works super hard but we don’t have a lot of money.

Becky

Dear Becky,

First, I just want to tell you how proud I am of how you are handling this. You aren’t running to your mom demanding anything. Instead, you are doing research to see if this is even a possibility.

You should know up front, that Lumineers are just one brand of porcelain veneers. Many of the best cosmetic dentists actually prefer to use a different brand, so don’t be surprised if you go to a dentist and they suggest another type.

As far as the cost, that often depends on the quality, skill, and philisopy of the dentist you’re going to, but I would expect it to cost between $800 to $1,600 per tooth.

This may be out of the budget of your mother if finances are a struggle. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful smile though.

White Spots After Braces

When your braces are removed and there are white spots, it is a sign that food and bacteria became caught around your braces while you were wearing them. The white spots are the pre-cursors to decay, so you’ll want to see your dentist fairly soon to shore up and weak spots before they become full blown cavities.

Repairing the white spots cosmetically can be done with dental bonding. A dentist could hand sculpt the composite bonding onto your teeth and it will cover the white spots perfectly.

In your place, instead of suggesting a procedure to your mother, I would just let her know what’s going on and ask if the two of you can talk to the dentist about affordable solutions.

Best of luck to you!

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.