What Are White Spots on Teeth?

Let’s just take a minute to stop and think about our teeth and dental hygiene. We rarely stop to consider just how important our teeth are to us and how those little gnashers can impact how we feel. When we feel confident about our teeth, we want to smile and show them off. This is why following a good dental hygiene routine is so important for more than just our dental health. 

However, sometimes even good dental hygiene doesn’t prevent us from getting dental problems or discolourations like white spots, leaving us reluctant to smile. So, what are white spots on teeth? Let’s take a closer look at this common dental problem.

Have you ever noticed tiny discolourations or blotches on your teeth? These white spots are a different colour from the rest of the enamel, which leaves you with a small but bothersome dental imperfection. There are many reasons you might have these white spots, but they may be an early sign of decay. So it is important to identify the cause. 

In this comprehensive guide, our aesthetic dentists at Smile Stories answer the question “what are white spots on teeth?”,  explain the causes — and how you can get rid of them.

Causes of White Spots on Teeth

It is not uncommon to look in the mirror and see stains and discolourations on your teeth. We all have our guilty pleasures like red wine, coffee and dark chocolate. These are all delicious, but they can have staining effects on your teeth. However, what if those discolourations are white? Well, there are several possible causes listed below.

Enamel Hypoplasia

Basically, enamel hypoplasia means that you have a defect causing you to have less enamel on your teeth than is considered normal. Enamel hypoplasia is generally caused by a nutritional deficiency that can cause pesky white spots, discolourations and mineral loss in the teeth.  

Enamel hypoplasia can also be caused by taking antibiotics that limit nutrient absorption — and smoking while pregnant can also lead to enamel hypoplasia in young children. Some other symptoms of enamel hypoplasia to look out for are sensitive teeth and having lines or grooves on the surface of your teeth.

Poor Nutrition

We all know that drinking too many sodas and eating lots of sweets is bad for your overall health, but the same goes for your dental health. If you have a highly acidic diet and consume lots of sugary food or drinks, this can lead to discolouration of the teeth and these unsightly white spots. A poor diet can cause the formation of acidic plaque, which is highly erosive to the enamel.

Sensitivity to hot or cold foods could be a sign that your tooth enamel is breaking down. Watch out for these warning signs and swap that soda for a glass of H2O.

Fluorosis

You have probably heard that you should try to get toothpaste with fluoride and that it is important for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. However, like most things in life, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Too much fluoride in your diet can actually cause discolouration, decay and even these white spots.

Plaque Build Up

We all know brushing our teeth multiple times a day and flossing regularly are important for our dental health, but did you know that plaque build-up can also lead to the formation of white spots? 

This is also a common problem for brace wearers who find that plaque can accumulate under the brace, where it is difficult to clean. So look after your teeth and you look after your smile.

Sleeping With an Open Mouth

What? Okay, so it sounds silly, but it is true. Not only are you likely to keep your flatmates awake with your snoring, but sleeping with your mouth open can lead to dehydration of the enamel surface of your teeth. These white spots on teeth are generally temporary and will disappear as soon as saliva rehydrates the teeth’s surface.

White Spot Treatments

Desperate to get rid of those irritating white spots on your teeth? We get it; they might be small, but smile confidence comes from within. If you feel insecure about your smile, then you aren’t going to want to flaunt it. Thankfully there are various ways to get rid of those annoying white spots on your teeth.

Microabrasion Procedure

Microabrasion does exactly what you might expect it to do. This procedure safely removes a layer of enamel from your teeth. The process also removes the white spots on your teeth, leaving them looking brighter and healthier.

Veneers

When we say veneers, you probably instantly think of either Hollywood actors or reality stars from Essex, but this dental treatment is another great way to hide those white spots on your teeth and give you a new lease of smile confidence.

If you have a high amount of white spot coverage, it might be worth considering this course of treatment. Veneers work by permanently bonding porcelain or composite tooth-coloured shells to your actual teeth, which will conceal any white spots you have. These veneers are prepared by your cosmetic dentist.

Veneers are not only a great option for treating white spots on your teeth, but they can also be used to fix a range of other dental problems.

Dental Bleaching

Sometimes your shoes don’t match your clothes — so you change the whole outfit. That is a basic explanation for how dental bleaching can eliminate those white spots on teeth. Confused? Let us explain. Dental bleaching is a professional tooth whitening procedure that lightens the colour of the entire tooth to match the colour of the white spot. This gives you a bright, spotless set of teeth and a luminous smile.

This treatment is usually successful when performed by professional cosmetic dentists. However, it can have the undesired effect of bleaching the white spots further, thus perpetuating the problem.

ICON White Spot Removal

For the latest in cutting-edge white spot removal techniques, look no further than ICON white spot removal. ICON makes those discolourations and white spots look like the rest of the enamel by using infiltration. Without getting too technical, infiltration is the process of changing the light refractions of the white spots.

This technique is easily one of the most effective and modern forms of white spot removal. Our incredible team of cosmetic dentists can walk you through the process and help you with your smile transformation.

White Spot Prevention

Okay, so like we said at the beginning of this post — you aren’t always going to be able to stop the formation of these white spots on your teeth. However, there are some things you can do to help prevent them.

First and foremost, just look after your teeth and gums. Invest in an electric toothbrush and brush and floss regularly. Keeping up good dental hygiene is the best way to prevent the formation of white spots. Fluoride toothpaste will be beneficial in ensuring optimum dental health; just make sure you don’t consume too much as this can lead to the previously mentioned fluorosis.

Last but not least, watch your diet. Eating less acidic and sugary foods will help keep your enamel healthy and stop any of those dreaded white spots from appearing.

Get rid of the white spots on your teeth with the help of our smile architects at Smile Stories. Contact us today for your free consultation.

AUTHOR

Dr Gareth Edwards BDS (Hons) MFDS RCPS (Glasg) qualified from dental school with honours. Practising from Bournemouth and Poole, he has a keen interest in orthodontics and aesthetic dentistry and is a certified Invisalign provider. Smile Stories provide teeth whitening Bournemouth.