White spots after braces

My daughter had braces and now she has white spots on her teeth. Our dentist had recommended whitening her teeth, but my friend said that whitening won’t help because the teeth will be whiter but still be uneven in color. I know she isn’t a dentist, but is really quite bright and doesn’t usually say something she isn’t knowledgeable in. Is it possible my friend is right and my dentist is wrong?

Donna M.- Mississippi

Donna,

I’m am really frustrated to say that your friend knows more than your dentist. When you have uneven tooth color, using teeth whitening just makes the difference in color more obvious.  The white spots on her teeth are decalcification that occured while wearing her braces. This happens when there are some oral hygiene issues.

There are a couple of ways to treat this. There is something called Tooth Mousse that was specifically designed for this issue. Another possible treatment is tooth bonding. The softened and decalcified enamel will be removed and then replaced with composite materials that will be bonded onto her teeth. It goes without saying that I would go to a different dentist to do this procedure.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

 

Sensitivity after root canal

I had a root canal treatment. The procedure itself wasn’t too bad and everything seemed fine until a few days ago. Now all of a sudden my tooth is sensitive to cold. I can’t figure out why. Do you have an idea?

Brooke- maryland

Brooke,

If you’ve had a tooth canal and then the tooth becomes sensitive to cold, it means there was a hidden canal that didn’t get cleaned out and needs to be re-treated.  Fortunately, most dentists charge for root canal treatment by the tooth, so there would not be an additional fee for the re-treatment.  If, however, your dentist treats by the canal, there would be an additional fee.

These canals can be tricky and it is not unusual for the best dentists to miss one.  If it is a difficult canal, your dentist may decide to send you to a root canal specialist.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix dentist Dr. Kevin Peck.

Help for stopping thumbsucking

I’m a little embarrassed to be asking this. I’m 12 and still suck my thumb. I want to stop because I have a slumber party in a month. Can you help?

name withheld

First, I want you to know that you are not the only girl your age who still sucks her thumb. There are many teenagers who are still trying to break this habit. The part that will help is you are motivated to quit. Here are some suggestions:

  • You could wear a sock on your hands when you sleep at night. The good part about this process is it doesn’t cost any money.
  • There are liquids you can purchase to put onto your thumb that taste absolutely horrible.
  • You could also purchase a thumb guard. This is a plastic appliance that goes over your hand and protects your thumb so you will no longer be able to suck it.
  • If there is enough time, I recommend you visit a pediatric dentist, who will also have ways to help.

I hope this helps and have fun at your slumber party.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentist Dr. Kevin Peck