Fluorosis occurs when your teeth are exposed to higher than normal amounts of fluoride during their developmental phase — usually before the age of eight. About 25% of people in the United States between the ages of 6 and 49 have some degree of fluorosis.
In most cases, fluorosis is so mild that it’s barely noticeable except to your dentist. However, about 2% of people with fluorosis have cases that are considered moderate, with visible manifestations, such as white flecks, streaks, or discoloration. In 1% of cases, fluorosis may be severe, making teeth look pitted or brown.
Even though fluorosis is a “cosmetic” issue, nobody wants to have teeth that don’t look bright, white, and healthy. At each of our three Houston-area offices, our dental professionals at Fresh Dental Care give you the beautiful and healthy smile of your dreams, even if you have fluorosis.
If you have mild staining and pitting, you may benefit from microdermabrasion, which smooths the upper layer of your tooth enamel. Of course, your enamel is an important barrier that prevents bacteria from entering the inner portion of your tooth and causing an infection. We only recommend microdermabrasion if you have sufficient enamel.
If you opt for microdermabrasion, we then follow your tooth sanding with a professional teeth whitening treatment. Teeth whitening bleaches your teeth from the inner dentin to the outer enamel to give you long-lasting and dramatic results.
If you have white spots or stripes on your teeth or brownish stains, but the surface of your teeth is smooth, you may benefit from a professional teeth whitening treatment alone. At Fresh Dental Care, we offer Zoom!® Whitening by Phillips.
A Zoom treatment only takes about 45 minutes. Our team applies the bleaching gel to your teeth, taking care to avoid your sensitive gums. Then, we shine a WhiteSpeed blue LED light to accelerate the whitening.
We repeat the bleach application and LED light treatment three times, in 15-minute increments. At the end of your treatment, your teeth are up to eight shades whiter. Zoom lightens and bleaches your entire tooth for long-lasting and spectacular results.
If you have white dots or other marks on your teeth from fluorosis, the bleaching process may temporarily make them look more noticeable. However, they fade with time, leaving you a beautifully uniform and white smile.
Another option to remedy your fluorosis is to create a brand new smile by covering your damaged teeth with veneers, crowns, or a combination of the two. You may choose veneers or crowns if you have other dental problems in addition to fluorosis, such as:
A veneer is a tooth-shaped shell that fits directly on top of your natural tooth. Our team first removes a thin layer of enamel so that the veneer can be bonded directly to your tooth.
A crown is a false tooth cap that slips over your natural tooth. As with veneers, our team must first prepare your tooth by removing enamel so that it can fit with your other teeth.
Both veneers and crowns are semi-permanent solutions. With care, veneers and crowns may last for decades or even a lifetime. They can’t stain or develop cavities. However, you must care for them as you’d care for natural teeth to avoid gum disease and other problems.
Don’t live with the embarrassment of fluorosis a day longer — contact our experts at Fresh Dental Care today for teeth whitening or other fluorosis treatments by calling the office nearest you or sending us a message online.
