“Hey Doc, can you make these white spots on my teeth go away?” Yes we can!
The term “minimally invasive” or ”minimal intervention” has been a common phrase in the medical field for some time now. You may have heard of minimally invasive surgical procedures, including prostate surgery, hip replacements, and heart surgery, that produce less trauma, a smaller scar, and less recovery time. Dentistry has adopted this 21st century approach as well, with a primary emphasis on the management of tooth decay. These principles aim to identify and eliminate the risk factors, and if surgical intervention (filling) is necessary, the goal is to restore the cavity and preserve healthy tooth structure in the process.
This idea may also be applied to cosmetic dentistry. With advancements in technology and materials, porcelain veneers can now be prepared with little to no removal of tooth structure and with no compromise in the aesthetic result.
Cavities are an infectious disease that require three things: a susceptible host (tooth), the presence of bacteria, and a high sugar diet. The process is pretty simple – Bacteria break down sugars and produce acid which attacks enamel and causes a demineralization process to occur (to read about how chewing gum can reduce demineralization, click here). Over time, this leads to decay, which is initially seen as white spots. You may have noticed white spots after you got your braces off – same process! It’s difficult to clean around braces, so bacteria accumulate in these hard to brush areas creating demineralization (beginning of a cavity) of enamel and…WHITE SPOTS.
Although white spots appear most commonly with the initial onset of a cavity and after braces (same process), they can also be seen with various other conditions. These include fluorosis, hypomineralization, hypoplasia, and overbleaching. Fluorosis is a health condition caused by a child receiving too much fluoride during tooth development, appearing as small white opaque flecks. Hypomineralization is a decreased mineral content of certain areas of teeth which can be caused by health problems during infancy (as permanent teeth are forming). Hypoplasia is basically interruptions in enamel formation. All of these conditions may respond to whitening products differently, possibly causing them to stand out more.
No need to fear because we now have the answer! The company GC America recently came out with a product that can not only halt this process, but reverse it as well! MI Paste or “minimal intervention” paste is a mixture of Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (ACP) and Casein Phosphopeptide (CPP) – big words! Basically it strengthens the teeth by replenishing calcium and phosphorous levels. It’s like vitamins for your teeth! By using a combination of MI Paste and a whitening product (like Deep Bleaching), these spots can either be completely removed or usually enough to where they are hardly noticeable.
At Greystone Smile Design, we have found that MI Paste is not only great for removing white spots, but also for reducing tooth sensitivity and protecting high risk patients from getting more cavities. The ”minimal intervention” means we can use these mineral supplements to restore the “beginning of decay” instead of having to drill and fill.
Example Case
This patient had numerous white spots on most of her teeth. Through minimal intervention techniques wit
h MI Paste and take-home bleaching, she got the smile she always wanted…with no drilling and no pain!
If you suffer from white spots, this may be the treatment for you. Ask about it today!
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Tags: Dr. Tom Dudney, Dr. Trent Buchanan, Greystone Smile Design