How To Prevent White Marks On Teeth After Braces
Posted on: 2 July 2018
Getting braces can do wonders for the shape and appearance of your smile, but it can also leave you with an unpleasant surprise. White stains on teeth are a common problem that many people who finish their treatment and have their braces taken off discover. If you have braces and don't want this to happen to you, keep reading to learn all you need to know about these spots and how you can avoid getting them.
What They Are
The white spots, believe it or not, are not actually the problem. While most people think that the white spots aren't nice to look at, the white is actually what's left of the tooth's original enamel. Chances are the white spots are on or near where the brackets adhered to the teeth.
How They're Formed
The area around the white spots is where the problem really lies. The rest of the tooth that was exposed during braces treatment can become weakened if good dental hygiene isn't maintained.
In particular, the edges around the brackets that adhere braces to teeth are most likely to suffer this kind of damage. This is because the brackets of the braces collect debris, plaque, and bacteria around them, but these elements can't get under the bracket because it's tightly adhered to your tooth.
Over the months or years that you have braces on, that area around the bracket continues to be worn down by acid, bacteria, and plaque that's been allowed to accumulate due to poor oral hygiene.
Prevention and Treatment
There are two things you can do about having your teeth look weird after your braces are off: prevent it from happening or treat it after the fact.
Ideally, prevention is best. The good news is, this is easy to accomplish. First off, visit your general dentist. Get your teeth cleaned and thoroughly examined.
Then, ask your dentist how often you should visit while you have braces. Chances are they'll want to see you more frequently. Lastly, ask if there are any tools or tips your dentist can offer to help protect your teeth.
If you already have damaged teeth, your general dentist can still help you. They will be able to reinforce your remaining enamel, which will help to prevent future damage to the tooth. In addition, tooth whitening can be used to make the tooth look normal again.
Braces don't have to leave your teeth looking odd. With proper dental hygiene and visits to your dentistry office, you can protect your teeth from being damaged and reveal the smile you really want when your braces come off.
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