White Spot Lesions

When enamel is being eroded, patients won’t always feel something at first. But at the Silver Spring offices of Bishop & Bishop Dental, we teach our patients to recognize incipient dental lesions in the form of white spots.
The chemical interaction of acid with enamel causes teeth to look glazed or chalky as minerals are being lost. This can be observed in people suffering from chronic acid reflux. However, tooth decay is caused by bacterial infections. Bacteria produce acid, which gets trapped in dental plaque, eroding enamel. If decay is allowed to continue, portions of the enamel could be lost entirely, resulting in caries, also known as cavities.
Patients need to be especially wary of white spots developing around the brackets of traditional braces. Other common places for tooth decay are near the gum line and on the sides of teeth. These are signs that patients need to immediately improve their oral hygiene since white spots can form in as short a time as a month. While lost enamel cannot be regrown, enamel that has suffered mineral damage can restore itself. We also have cosmetic treatments to mask white spots after a dental infection has been removed.
David Bishop, DDS and Dorienne Taylor-Bishop, DDS, operate Bishop & Bishop Dental at 8830 Cameron St, #504, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. To set up an appointment, call 301-608-9270 or visit Bishop Dental and fill out acontact sheet.