Menu Phone
Phone: 504-885-8869 Main Site Pen Icon Reviews: GoogleFacebook

Fixing Splotchy Teeth

by

My teenager has always had thin tooth enamel. We tried to be very careful when she had braces. We seemed to avoid the splotchiness in all but her front two teeth. I’m glad her teeth are straight but these need to be dealt with. I’ve heard there is a procedure to fix it. Do you know if dental insurance will cover it?

Caroline

Dear Caroline,

before and after dental bonding for a chipped tooth

These white spots, as you probably know are decalcification— precursors to tooth decay. There are two possible solutions to this. The first only works sometimes. There is a product called Tooth Mousse that can sometimes re-calcify teeth. It doesn’t work all the time, but is inexpensive and worth a shot in my opinion. You can get it online.

If that doesn’t work, a sure-fire solution is dental bonding. You will need an expert cosmetic dentist for this so don’t expect your average family dentist to be able to do it. Above, I’ve shown an image of dental bonding that is being used to fix a chipped tooth. What your daughter will need is for the decalcification spots to be gently sanded off and then the composite bonding can fill in the gaps.

As I mentioned earlier this procedure needs an expert cosmetic dentist. The whole thing is done freehand, plus you want them to know enough color theory to be able to match her teeth perfectly. I would look for a qualified dentist on the mynewsmile.com website. Every dentist on their is prescreened for their cosmetic training and artistic skill.

As for your dental insurance, it varies from policy to policy, but do not expect it to cover the whole procedure. At the most, they will contribute to it, but that is about all I would expect.

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

why didn’t zoom whitening help?

by

My daughter had braces. When they were removed, there was an uneven color on her teeth. Some of the teeth had white spots. We talked to our dentist about it and he suggested we use Zoom Whitening. We did. Although her teeth are whiter they are still quite uneven. What went wrong?

Natasha

Dear Natasha,

Patient using Zoom Whitening light
Whitening your teeth in one appointment is easy with Zoom

The biggest thing which went wrong is your dentist doesn’t know anything about cosmetic dentistry. while Zoom Whitening is an extraordinarily effective treatment for whitening stained teeth, it is not the correct treatment for uneven teeth.

When it comes to white spots, any type of teeth whitening procedure will actually make the situation worse.

Dealing with White Spots After Braces

When a patient has white spots after braces, it is usually caused by decalcification. Cleaning your teeth with braces on is very challenging. It takes a lot of effort to get in all the nooks and crannies. That’s one reason many dentists are recommending Invisalign for orthodontics whenever possible. It makes it much easier to clean your teeth.

Tooth Mousse is a product designed for this type of situation. It helps to remineralize the decalcified spots.

Another option is to have dental bonding placed in order to cover the uneven spots on your teeth. Don’t go to your family dentist for this. It requires a great cosmetic dentist to do this well.

How to Find a Great Cosmetic Dentist

I’m going to suggest you go to the mynewsmile.com website. They pre-screen cosmetic dentists for both technical skill and artistry. Anyone listed on their site will give your daughter a beautiful smile.

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

Will tooth mousse and whitening get rid of my white lesions?

by

I’ve had white spot lesions on my teeth for several years. I finally decided I wanted to do something about them so at my last dental appointment, my dentist sent me home with tooth mousse and then told me to come back in a couple of months for some whitening. Will the combination of these two things help me finally get rid of these stains for good? — Eric

Eric,
Unfortunately, your dentist is not quite on the mark with this one. Yes, tooth mousse does treat white spots, but it’s only designed to keep them from turning into cavities by remineralizing them. You can check into it, but the company doesn’t make any specific aesthetic claims beyond that.

But what is even more concerning is that your dentist is recommending tooth whitening. The bleaching gel is designed to whitening everything, so if you have white spots, they will end up looking even worse. Find an expert cosmetic dentist in your area and he/she will be able to help you get rid of the white spots with either microabrasion (an acid-pumice mixture that is applied to the surface of the teeth) or tooth bonding which is covering the areas with composite resin.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.