White Spots on Teeth in Salem, OR

What causes white spots on teeth?

The potential causes of white spots on teeth include vitamin deficiencies, illnesses, infections, poor dental hygiene, excess fluoride, or trauma to the tooth. In some cases, white spots may be caused by something called enamel hypoplasia, which occurs when a patient’s tooth enamel doesn’t form properly during development. This condition can increase the risk of tooth decay and requires intervention.

In most cases, white spots are not hazardous to your oral health. However, they may be a sign that you need to make some changes to your diet, lifestyle, and dental-care regimen in order to prevent further spots from forming. They may also cause you to feel insecure.

Are white spots on teeth bad?

White spots on the teeth aren’t necessarily bad. In most cases, white spots don’t indicate a problem with your oral health. However, many patients feel insecure about their white spots.  If you have cosmetic concerns, we can employ effective treatments that will give you more confidence in your smile.

Do white spots on teeth go away on their own?

Once white spots have formed on the teeth, they rarely go away on their own. Unfortunately, even with changes to your diet, lifestyle, and daily oral care, these spots are unlikely to disappear without treatment. Cosmetic dentistry options such as veneers and/or teeth whitening are the only way to ensure your white spots completely go away. 

Although lifestyle changes alone won’t get rid of white spots, a healthy and teeth-conscious diet and consistent dental care can prevent additional spots from forming. So once you’ve had the white spots on your teeth removed through professional dental treatments, it’s important to maintain these healthy habits in order to ensure your teeth remain free of white spots in the future.

Does coconut oil remove white spots on teeth?

Some patients are interested in natural remedies to try to remove white spots. “Oil pulling” is a popular method that involves swishing a teaspoon of coconut oil around in your mouth to try to clean and whiten the teeth. Some claim this improves gum health, removes plaque, and whitens the teeth.

Unfortunately, no scientific studies have proven that oil pulling whitens teeth. While there don’t seem to be any negative consequences to using coconut oil on the teeth, it’s unlikely to produce any significant positive results either.