Category Archives: Teeth Whitening

Teeth Whitening

White Spots On Teeth

My daughter had braces. When they came off there were white spots on her teeth. Our dentist suggested we have teeth whitening done to even out the whitening, but that just seems to be making it worse. What do we do?

Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,

Teeth Bleaching Trays

Dear Carolyn,

Your dentist may mean well, but he or she doesn’t have a good understanding of how teeth whitening works. While a cost-effective way of helping stained teeth look younger, brighter, and more attractive, it is not useful for uneven color. This is because it will whiten your teeth evenly. Her teeth will be whiter, but so will her white spots.

The spots that developed are areas of decalcification. Those are cavities. They are pretty common after braces. Teenagers don’t always get between all those wires and brackets effectively.

One thing you can try is a product called Tooth Mousse. It is designed to help remineralize those spots. That would be my first go-to.

If that doesn’t work, then you can go to a cosmetic dentist and have both microabrasion and dental bonding done on those spots.

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Teeth Whitening

Brown Stains from Perioplus

My dentist prescribe perioplex to me after a recent oral surgery. However, I’ve noticed my teeth are starting to stain brown. Is this from the perioplus?

Sandy M.- Oklahoma

Sandy,

I did some quick research and I suspect the Perioplex is the cause of your staining. It is a good antibacterial agent, but contains chlorhexidine, which can stain your teeth. Another prescription that contains chlorhexidine is Peridex.  Don’t despair though (or stop using it) because there is a solution.

I would order the toothpaste Supersmile. It contains an enzyme that breaks down the protein pellicle on your teeth. You’ll soon have your white smile back.

Supersmile is also a great toothpaste to use on cosmetic dental work, such as porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers.

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

 

 

Teeth Whitening

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.

 

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening troubles

Can you tell me the secret to getting really white teeth. I’ve been wearing some teeth whitening trays with gel for a week and they aren’t very white yet.

Melissa- Detriot

Melissa,

The only secret to teeth whitening is persistence. The gel has to be in contact with your for extended periods of time. Wear the gel for as long as you’re able each day. You may even want to sleep with it. In just a few weeks, your teeth should be significantly whiter.

If you’re in a hurry to have your teeth whitened, some offices do a Zoom whitening, which will whiten your teeth in just one appointment.

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

Teeth Whitening

Inexpensive makeover

I need a way to makeover my smile that doesn’t cost a fortune. Any recommendations?

Syliva A. from Aberdeen, MD

Sylvia,

One of the more affordable ways to give yourself a quick smile makeover is to use teeth whitening. The take home method doesn’t cost a fortune and you should be able to have a white smile in just a few weeks.

Of course, it will not remedy other issues you may have with your smile, such as gaps, chips, or crooked teeth. There are other methods for those type of smile makeovers, but they generally cost more. It would help if I new a specific issue you were wanting to address.

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

 

Teeth Whitening

Whitening a porcelain Crown

If I  have a porcelain crown on one of my front teeth can I still whiten my teeth?

Sandra W. from Alabama

Sandra,

You can have your teeth whitened even with a porcelain crown, however you need to be aware that it will NOT whiten the crown at all. You will want your teeth the same color. The best way to handle this, is to do teeth whitening first. Then, have your crown re-done with the lab matching the porcelain to your new level of whiteness.

This blog is brought to you by Phoenix Dentists Kevin and Hillary Peck.