Discoloration After Braces? ICON Can Help!
If you or your child spent time in conventional orthodontics — with fixed brackets and wires — one of the most important things that your dentist or orthodontist told you was to keep your teeth clean. Since braces add extra surface areas for plaque and food debris to attach to, it takes extra time to brush and floss during treatment. As a result, some people tend to miss the plaque around specific brackets. Once their braces come off, it leaves what’s known as “white circles” on your teeth.
What are White Circles?
The visible white circle on your tooth is the result of plaque and acids etching away around your attached orthodontic bracket. That area of your tooth essentially starts to form a cavity. The only difference is that it doesn’t get much further than that.
The earliest stage of tooth decay is known as demineralization. Even though you may not have actually developed a physical “cavity” inside of your tooth, the decay process was initiated due to the plaque buildup around the bracket. But with intermittent cleaning, the decay process never had an opportunity to progress to the next stage. Instead, it halted itself in the “incipient lesion” stage and the tooth tried to repair itself.
Although you don’t have an opening in your enamel the way you would with a fully-developed cavity, the white, circular “scar” was left behind.
At this point of tooth decay development, treating the visible lesion with a filling isn’t usually necessary. However, the aesthetic characteristics of the discoloration can leave you wanting to do something simply for cosmetic purposes. That’s exactly where ICON comes in!
Fast, Effective, Affordable
While other types of cosmetic treatments for white spots can take anywhere from an hour to two separate visits, ICON takes a matter of minutes per area. The entire appointment (from start to finish) is typically under half an hour. But the application itself is usually only about 10-15 minutes for a couple of teeth.
ICON is one of the fastest and most effective ways to erase white spot lesions. There’s no numbing, drilling, or bleaching involved. Dr. Yazdan recommends ICON DMG for almost all of our patients who exhibit signs of white circles after wearing braces.
Some types of white spot treatments are hit-or-miss, depending on the severity of your demineralized area. Your tooth may respond well or not much at all. That’s not necessarily the case with ICON. Since the clear, flowable resin is absorbed by the micropores (tubules) inside of enamel, it takes on the color of the tooth around it.
Getting ICON treatment is more affordable than dramatic enhancements like veneers or a crown. That way when you have localized areas like white spots, it’s one of the most budget-savvy ways to help your smile look its best.
“What Happens if I Don’t Treat White Circles?”
If the initial “demineralization” process around your brackets wasn’t interrupted, you would be left with a physical cavity in your tooth. But once your orthodontic appliances came off, you were able to brush and floss more effectively. As a result, that decay process was halted, and the cavity didn’t get any further than the initial demineralization phase.
At this point, the tooth structure where you have a white spot is weaker than the surrounding enamel, but it doesn’t need a filling. It can still absorb minerals like fluoride to resist acids and bacteria. Ultimately if the look of white circles on your teeth doesn’t bother you, you technically don’t have to do anything about it at all.
However, such white spots tend to be quite noticeable when you’re smiling or talking to other people. You might even find that you don’t like having your picture made, avoid posing for selfies, or refrain from laughing in a group of colleagues. If you’ve reached that point, then you need to take steps to do something about your white circles. Although they’re simply aesthetic in nature, reversing the discoloration could help you re-gain your self-confidence.
ICON doesn’t just help to restore the lost aesthetics of your compromised tooth. It strengthens the “weaker” enamel in that area at the same time. That way your smile is more resistant to the decay process from coming back, especially where the tooth structure has already been altered.
White Spot Treatment in Newport Beach
The Center For Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry provides tailored cosmetic dentistry options to fit our patients’ needs, lifestyles, and budgets. With ICON DMG, Dr. Desiree Yazdan can quickly and affordably help you get your smile back in just one appointment.
If you’re hesitant to explore more “dramatic” types of cosmetic treatments for white spots, then it’s time to think about ICON! Contact our dentist in Newport Beach today to reserve a consultation.
About Dr. Yazdan
