Our Blog

Your smile is in the spotlight every day, helping you greet the world with confidence! But when you’re self-conscious about discolored spots on your teeth, it’s time to get some professional advice to deal with these troublesome tints.

Discolored patches, both dark and light, can develop for a number of different reasons. Some markings are cosmetic only, and some spots require treatment. Some can be removed with a professional cleaning, and some might require more serious restoration. Let’s have a look at some of the common causes of enamel discoloration.

• Cavities

Decayed enamel can appear as a brown spot on the tooth. A dark edge around a filling might mean decay underneath.

Regular checkups at our Raleigh, NC office will help catch small cavities before they become big ones. If you need a filling, the filling color can be matched to your tooth color for an undetectable restoration.

• Demineralization

Bacteria in plaque produce acids, which attack our teeth. These acids erode minerals such as calcium and phosphorus from enamel, leaving a weak spot that is vulnerable to decay. This process is called “demineralization,” and often leaves a whiter spot on a tooth where minerals have leached away. Common reasons for demineralization are neglecting dental hygiene, failure to clean around braces, and a diet filled with sugary and acidic foods.

Fluoride and enamel-strengthening toothpastes, a healthy saliva flow, and a balanced diet help our teeth “remineralize,” bathing teeth in minerals that can help replace those that have been lost. But if you have lingering white spots due to demineralization, Dr. Gregory Weaver can provide some options, including whitening, microabrasion, and veneers.

• Fluorosis

Fluorosis is a cosmetic condition caused by exposure to too much fluoride while the permanent teeth are still forming (generally, during the years before a child’s eighth birthday). Small white spots and patches are a common result of mild fluorosis. In more serious cases, teeth can be pitted and stained with brown, gray, or black spots.

Preventing fluorosis begins in early childhood. Talk to Dr. Gregory Weaver about fluoride levels in local tap water if you have any concerns. Use only the recommended amount of toothpaste (the size of a grain of rice for children three and under; the size of a pea for children three to six), and show your child how to spit out toothpaste and rinse after brushing. Keep fluoride toothpastes and other fluoride products out of the reach of young children. Don’t give children fluoride supplements or fluoride rinses without discussing it with Dr. Gregory Weaver.

If your own teeth have been affected by fluorosis, talk to us. Again, this is a cosmetic condition affecting otherwise healthy teeth. Whitening treatments can be helpful in mild cases, microabrasion has been effective for mild to moderate cases, and, for severe cases, cosmetic restorations such as bonding and veneers are an option.

• Tartar

Are you seeing an accumulation of dark brown spots and stains on your teeth, especially between the teeth and at the gum line? This might mean that you have tartar buildup. When you brush plaque away every day, your enamel stays smooth and clear. But when plaque builds up over time, it hardens and becomes tartar.

How hard is tartar? So hard that it can only be removed with a professional cleaning. Eliminate this source of spots and staining with twice daily brushing and daily flossing, and make sure regular professional cleanings are on your calendar.

• Other Causes

Medications taken while teeth were developing (notably, antibiotics in the tetracycline family) can cause discoloration. Medical conditions such as celiac disease and enamel hypoplasia can affect both tooth color and enamel formation.

Cosmetic treatment and restorations can help with discoloration caused by medications, and restorations such as bonding, veneers, and crowns can restore tooth appearance and function when medical conditions cause imperfections in enamel color and structure.

If you’re unhappy with the overall whiteness of your smile, a professional whitening might be just what you’re looking for. If specific patches, streaks, and spots of a different color are dimming your bright smile, it’s time for an exam. Dr. Gregory Weaver will be able to tell you the reason for any discolored enamel as well as present you with all your treatment options. Put the spotlight back where it belongs—on your healthy, confidant smile!

A vital step in your oral health routine is flossing. We hope our patients at Weaver Dentistry maintain good oral hygiene, including daily flossing between each visit to our Raleigh, NC office. A toothbrush is not always enough to get to the hard-to-reach areas of your mouth. When food remains between your teeth, bacteria starts to grow and will break down your enamel. This is where flossing comes in!

Should you floss before or after brushing?

Whatever your personal preference, you may floss before or after you brush your teeth. When you floss first, you can brush away any leftover dislodged food debris from your teeth. On the other hand, when you brush first, you will loosen the plaque between your teeth, which makes flossing more effective.

The essential aspect is that you floss thoroughly by using a fresh strand of floss and make sure to get between every tooth. Even if your teeth look and feel clean, don’t skip flossing or plaque will begin to build up on your teeth.

When is the best time to floss?

Although you should brush your teeth at least twice a day, Dr. Gregory Weaver and our team recommend flossing your teeth thoroughly once a day. Many people prefer to floss before bed, so that plaque doesn’t sit between their teeth all night.

What kind of floss should I use?

You may choose between interdental cleaning picks or flexible floss strands to perform your daily flossing routine. If you have permanent oral appliances or restorations, be sure to follow the flossing instructions provided to you.

Do you need help flossing?

If you’re having trouble flossing or have questions about which floss is best for your teeth, contact our Raleigh, NC office and we can provide you with support. Be sure to keep up with your daily flossing routine, and we will see you at your next appointment!

When acids are allowed to erode tooth enamel long enough to leach calcium and other minerals from your enamel and dentin, a process called demineralization occurs. This rapidly leads to tooth decay unless reversed by good oral hygiene and professional dental cleanings at our Raleigh, NC office. Acids responsible for tooth decay come from the wastes of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli bacteria that thrive in dental plaque, a substance that is the leading cause of periodontitis.

Where do demineralizing acids come from?

Dietary sugars comprise the bulk of tooth-decaying acids, including table sugar, cooked starches, fructose, glucose, and lactose. In fact, as soon as you bite down on a sugary cookie or into a French fry, bacteria start digesting sugars, breaking them down and eventually excreting them as demineralizing acids. As this bacteria colony grows and becomes organized, plaque develops and forms that tough, yellowish coating you often see on the tops of teeth at the gumline.

Plaque is the Problem

Dental plaque is a filmy type of nesting place for bacteria that also keeps acids pressed against tooth enamel. Since plaque cannot be removed by brushing, it is important that a person who suffers tooth decay visit Weaver Dentistry immediately so we can use special tools to scrape and thoroughly clean teeth.

Signs of Tooth Decay

Early tooth decay and cavities remain asymptomatic until demineralization creates a hole deep enough to reach the tooth’s inner tissues and nerve endings. Eventually, tooth decay will cause tooth sensitivity, toothache, vague pain when biting down on the affected tooth, and possibly pus seeping around a tooth’s gum line if the decay creates an infection. If treatment is delayed long enough, a decaying tooth may loosen, crumble, and ultimately fall out, which leaves an empty or partially empty socket.

Preventing Tooth Decay

Getting regular checkups with Dr. Gregory Weaver, brushing and flossing twice a day, and eating fruits or crunchy vegetables at snack time instead of a candy bar or doughnut are the three best ways to keep your teeth healthy, white, and where they should be: in your mouth.

Time to brush! So, you make sure you gently brush the plaque off the outside surfaces of your teeth. You want to present a gleaming smile to the world, after all. And you make sure to brush the inside surfaces as well, because who wants to feel a fuzzy patch of plaque every time their tongue hits their teeth? And, naturally, you remember to clean the tops of your molars, because those crevices make them more cavity-prone than any other surface.

Done? Not quite!

You might be surprised to learn that no matter how well you’ve brushed all the visible surfaces of your teeth, you’ve left quite a bit of enamel untouched—the adjoining, or touching, surfaces of the teeth which sit next to each other.

You’ve probably noticed that your bristles can’t . . . quite . . . reach all the enamel between your teeth (especially between your molars!) when you’re brushing. This means that food particles and plaque have an easier time sticking around. And when the bacteria in plaque are left undisturbed, especially with a banquet of food particles available, they produce acids which gradually eat away at the enamel covering our teeth, creating a cavity.

Here’s where we work in some specific dental vocabulary. “Interproximal” means between the adjoining, or touching, surfaces of the teeth. And an interproximal cavity is a cavity which develops on one of those side surfaces of your teeth.

• Discovering Interproximal Cavities

Clearly, a cavity between the teeth won’t be as obvious as other cavities. How will you know if a dental appointment is in order?

There are typical symptoms which can show up when you have a cavity. Chewing might be painful. You might feel pain or sensitivity when you eat or drink something which is hot, or cold, or sweet. But pain and/or sensitivity aren’t always present, especially when a cavity is just beginning to develop.

Regular exams are important so you can catch small cavities before they become more serious. That’s why, at your regular dental exams, Dr. Gregory Weaver will always check for any signs of decay on every surface of each tooth, including those places which aren’t easily visible. And that’s why X-rays can be an important tool for locating these tricky cavities.

• Treating Interproximal Cavities

If Dr. Gregory Weaver and our team finds a cavity between your teeth, there are different treatment options available depending on the size of the cavity:

• A typical cavity will require a filling. The decay will be removed, and then the area will be cleaned and filled. You’ll probably choose a filling material which can be matched to your enamel color if the restoration will be noticeable.
• If decay has spread to the pulp chamber inside the tooth, a root canal is often the best treatment option, with a crown applied afterward to protect the tooth.
• A tooth so decayed or infected that it cannot be saved might require extraction.

Dealing with any weakness in a tooth as quickly as possible is always better than waiting until a more complicated treatment option is needed. Of course, the best treatment is prevention, and, luckily for us, it’s not a complicated process at all.

• Preventing Interproximal Cavities

In fact, it’s about as basic as it can be—brush and floss effectively. We recommend brushing for two minutes at least twice a day and flossing once each day. While most of us are good about keeping up with brushing, sometimes that daily flossing is more a goal than a reality.

But it’s flossing which really does the trick when it comes to interproximal cleaning. If you floss correctly, food particles and plaque are removed from between the teeth and around the gumline—places where bristles just can’t reach. The next time you get your teeth cleaned at our Raleigh, NC office, ask for tips on how to perfect your technique. And, if you have difficulty flossing, ask about alternatives such as water flossers and interproximal brushes.

Preventing cavities on the exterior surfaces of your teeth is probably pretty much automatic by now, but don’t forget the potential for stealth decay! If Dr. Gregory Weaver and our team find signs of erosion on the sides of your teeth, or if your hygienist lets you know that you’ve got a lot of interproximal plaque buildup, work with us to make sure “interproximal cavity” doesn’t become a working part of your dental vocabulary.