Bernstein Dental Care: Blog

Dental white spots aren’t just unpleasant to look at. They’re a warning sign of an oral health problem. At Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge, we want our patients to be satisfied with their smiles and to know when they need to improve their brushing. That’s why this week we’re discussing white spot lesions. Tooth enamel is a very hard substance, but it can be damaged by acid. When somebody suffers from frequent acid reflux, the enamel on their upper back teeth wears away, and the teeth look glazed and unnaturally white. The same thing can happen to any tooth when a dental infection is allowed to persist, which is why white spots are also called incipient lesions. Bacteria secrete acid, which creates white spots as enamel is demineralized. This most commonly happens on the sides of teeth, where bristles from most toothbrushes won’t reach them and near the gums. They are also common around orthodontic brackets and will result in the patient having hollow square-shaped spots on their tee...

Patients at Bernstein Dental Care can rely on us for treating stains normal whitening methods won’t get rid of. Although our office offers bleaching, which is effective against the vast majority of dental stains, there are situations in which the stain may be too deep to be reached with surface treatments. These are called intrinsic stains, and they potentially represent a threat to the patient’s health. Intrinsic stains are harmless when they are caused by the tooth being exposed to dark-colored molecules during its formation. This can be caused by excessive amounts of fluoride or tetracycline antibiotics, and stains like these can be covered with a veneer. But intrinsic stains can also be caused by inflammation of the dental pulp. The body may not be able to fight off a tooth infection on its own, and if the infection spreads, the patient will be at risk for tooth aches, a facial abscess, and death. Root canals are the standard treatment for removing inflamed dental pulp. The advance...