Dr. Noah's Dentistry Blog

Questions About Dentistry Answered

Braces Causing Enamel Damage To My Teeth!

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I am 13 years old and just got my braces off. Right after they were removed I am seeing chalky white spots on my front eight teeth. I had my teeth cleaned four times a year, and my orthodontist never mentioned this possibility for tooth destruction to me. My dentist wants to do porcelain veneers; is this what you would recommend? Also, I am a teeth grinder, if that makes a difference.

-Ashley in Texas

Ashley,

I wouldn’t recommend porcelain veneers for someone your age for your 8 front teeth. The problem with doing veneers at your age is that your teeth could erupt a little further as you get older, which will reveal the margin of the veneers instead of keeping that margin at the gumline. Plus, the fact that your dentist is suggesting that at your age makes me worry that he or she isn’t expert in placing porcelain veneers. There is a more conservative option for you, which would be direct dental bonding, and I would go to an expert cosmetic dentist for that.

The white spots are decalcification. What happens when you have braces is that the braces catch food every time you eat anything. If you don’t brush it off right away, it sits there and bacteria grow in the food debris and put out acid that attacks your teeth. I’m disappointed that your orthodontist didn’t talk to you about that. When you have braces, you need to be very careful about eating, and your orthodontist should tell you how to avoid this problem. One thing is that when you’re wearing braces you should avoid snacking. Just confine yourself mostly to eating at meals with only occasional snacks, and that will greatly reduce the damage. And then, after you eat, you need to brush right away. When I had my braces, I carried a toothbrush with me so I could do that, and after lunch or a snack I would excuse myself to the bathroom and take care of this. If you’re not able to brush, at least swish vigorously with water to get as much of that food debris off your teeth. Not only does it decalcify your teeth, but it smells bad.

Getting your teeth cleaned four times a year is okay, but it’s no substitute for getting the food out from around your brackets right away.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Discoloration On My Front Two Teeth!

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I am now 20 years old, but ever since I was young and my adult teeth came in, I have had brown spots on my front two teeth. I have always had excellent dental hygiene, and I was told that having a high fever as an infant is what caused the discoloration.

My dentist and I have tried all of the whitening products we can find, but it has only ever made the area around the spots whiter, making the discolored spots more obvious. She wants to grind away at the front of the teeth to see if that gets rid of the discoloration, but I’m scared to try that. She doesn’t know how much she will need to grind off or if it will cause me pain or more problems. Do you know of anything else that I could try? Would you recommend trying professional whitening? I really want to get rid of these awful spots!

-Malia from Florida

Malia,

I would not do any more experimenting with your dentist as this could cause considerable damage to your teeth.

You could continue to see your dentist for your regular care if you choose, but I would recommend finding someone who is a cosmetic dentist. Since your dentist didn’t understand that bleaching would make the spots worse, I wouldn’t trust her to fix the teeth by grinding the spots off.

Bleaching your teeth will not remove your spots. On the contrary, it usually makes the spots look even worse because it whitens all around the spot, as you have already experienced. An option that had a small chance of helping would be a process called microabrasion. I believe your best option will probably be tooth bonding or porcelain veneers. But please make sure to find a cosmetic dentist that is an expert in this area.

I hope you are able to find a solution!

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.

Is Snap-On Smile A Good Option For My 8-Year-Old Son?

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My name is Danielle, and I have an 8-year-old son that severely chipped his front tooth. The dentist filled it in but within a week; it had broken off. Thankfully, there is no damage to his roots and he has not been in any pain. I’m just wondering if a snap-on smile would work for an 8-year-old? When he is old enough, we would have the tooth capped off.

-Danielle from California

 

Danielle,

Although I speak highly of the Snap-On-Smile, I wouldn’t recommend this option for your son. If you went with the Snap-On Smile, his tooth would remain broken, and there are ways to fix it. For example, his tooth could be fixed with composite bonding or porcelain, and it would stay fixed as long as it’s done right and doesn’t get in the way of his bite.

The repair that was done on your son’s tooth didn’t break off because of his age; it was because it got in the way of his bite. Meaning it would still break off when he gets older. An excellent cosmetic dentist can repair his tooth correctly. I wouldn’t suggest going to a pediatric dentist for this.

He could potentially have these problems if you went with a Snap-On Smile:

  • It could be bulky.
  • Chances are, being an eight-year-old boy, he will misplace it or lose it.
  • Since he still has some baby teeth and permanent teeth, the Snap-On Smile fit is going to change.

I strongly believe that having these types of procedures done by an expert cosmetic dentist is extremely important. Your son’s tooth breaking off is a perfect example of why it’s important to go to someone who is an expert and can do it right the first time.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.