My daughter recently had her braces taken off. When she did, there were some issues with her teeth having white spots. Our dentist suggested we have Zoom Whitening done because it is so strong. We did that. Unfortunately, that seemed to make no difference. Did something go wrong with the procedure?
Maddie
Dear Maddie,
The Zoom Whitening very likely did what it was designed to do, which is whiten your daughter’s teeth evenly. The problem you are facing is that is not the correct treatment for your daughter’s situation. If you whiten uneven teeth they will still be uneven, just whiter. It sounds like your dentist has a fundamental misunderstanding of how teeth whitening works.
The white spots after braces are decalcification spots. This is pre-decay. Those metal wires and brackets make it difficult for patients to really get in there when they are brushing. A couple of years with that and those decalcification spots develop and then decay.
The solution to this is for a dentist to use some gentle microabrasion to remove the decalcified spots and then to cover them with dental bonding. However, this is a cosmetic procedure that requires advanced training. I don’t think the dentist you have been seeing has that training. Teeth whitening is one of the most basic of the cosmetic procedures and he was totally lost on that.
The bonding is done freehand, which requires a great deal of skill and artistry. Cosmetic dentistry isn’t a recognized specialty so it is up to the dentist how much training they receive so you have to be careful who you allow to do this. I am going to suggest you either find a dentist who is recommended on the mynewsmile.com website or one who is AACD accredited There is some overlap there.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.