A beauty of a person is affected by its smile. The lovelier the smile, more beautiful you are. A person’s smile is affected by its teeth. If you a have a perfect and pearly white teeth, you will also have a beautiful smile that may capture everyone through it. However, not everyone is blessed to have perfect teeth and smile. Anybody who does not have those teeth perfection is wishing to have sparkling teeth and attractive smile.
Our teeth also play an important role in our daily living. They grind the food into smaller pieces so that, the stomach can digest it easily. We eat soft and hard types of food with different colors and nutrients in it. We also enjoy eating and drinking our favorite food and drinks like chocolates, French fries, hamburgers, soda and soya. However, little did we know that it can affect our teeth.
The food that we consume can actually produce white spots on our teeth. These white spots:
- Makes you look unappealing
- Mess up your smile and
- The worst part is, it can ruin the confidence that you have in yourself
For us to prevent our teeth from decaying, let us learn how to get rid of white spots on teeth. But before that, here is a quick introduction.
What Are Those White Spots On Your Teeth?
White spots on your teeth are a sign that the shells of your teeth or enamel have lost its mineral content. This is often termed as Hypocalcification. Dentists usually call these white spots as hypoplasia.
If truth be told, these white spots are the early signs of tooth decay or damage. That is why, if you notice that the enamel of your teeth show up an opaque color spots, this may be an indication that the cavity is starting to take place. Knowing this, you should let your teeth be checked by your dentist to know the cause of these white spots.
What Causes White Spots On Teeth?
There are many different reasons that trigger the appearance of white spots and these reasons vary from one person to the other. Below are just some of the common causes of white spots on the teeth.
1. Dry Mouth
If your mouth is dry, it just means that there isn’t enough saliva to maintain the pH level (into neutral) of your mouth. Bacteria will grow and stay on your teeth to attack it with their acid if the ph level of your mouth is not correct.
2. Poor Oral Hygiene
If you don’t clean your mouth properly, it is natural for plaque to build up on your teeth’s enamel. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of debris and bacteria that build up on the enamel of your teeth after you eat carbohydrates (they have starches and sugars in it). Because there are starches and sugars left on your teeth, the bacteria will feed on these left over starches and sugars, and produce acid which can destroy your teeth’s enamel causing the formation of white spots and later on, tooth decay.
3. Eating Acidic Foods
Eating high acidic foods such as sour candies and products that is made of vinegar and lemon is the main reason why white spots build up. Also, drinking acidic drinks like lemonade, carbonated soda and others will also have the same effect on your teeth. Acidic foods and drinks produce white spots because they remove the enamel and its other natural nutrients and mineral.
4. Whitening Strips
Whitening strips are made up of plastic. This strip gets glued on your teeth using the gel-like substance. If you are using the teeth whitening strips and you let it stay on your teeth for a long time then, this might be the cause of white spots on your teeth. Since they are highly acidic, these strips are able to de-mineralize your teeth.
5. Too Much Fluoride Or Fluorosis
To keep the teeth healthy, fluoride is one of the most important minerals. However, too much fluoride would also lead to cavities and white spots. By taking in extreme fluoride, you are making your teeth vulnerable. And sometimes, we do not know if the water supplied to us contains high levels of fluorine. Especially in children whose teeth development is still going on, fluorosis is a main cause of teeth’s white spots.
6. Braces On Teeth
Braces do not necessarily cause white spots on teeth. However, if you do not follow good dental hygiene while you are wearing your braces, white spots are sure to form on your teeth. The reason is that, plaques develop on the areas that are hard to reach such as behind your braces where you cannot brush your teeth thoroughly.
7. Celiac Disease
Celiac disease also increases the danger of developing other autoimmune diseases such as osteoporosis, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Defects on the teeth enamel can also be associated to celiac disease. The defect is not only white spots on the teeth but also directs to teeth with pitting or grooves, yellow teeth or undersized teeth.
How To Get Rid Of White Spots On Teeth?
Who does not want to have a set of white bright teeth? Let us know the ways to take away these white spots. These best part? You can treat them at home.
1. Create Your Very Own Re-Mineralizing Toothpaste
To help strengthen your teeth, reintroduce nutrients like calcium. By making re-mineralizing toothpaste that is full of calcium and other important nutrients, you will be able to eradicate the white spots and other teeth damage indicators. Baking soda is also a helpful coarse element that scrubs off the white spots and neutralizes your mouth’s pH level. To make re-mineralizing toothpaste, follow the instructions given below:
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. of baking soda
- 5 tbsp. of calcium powder
- 1 tbsp. of food-grade diatomaceous
- 3 tbsp. of xylitol powder (optional)
- Coconut oil
Procedure: To create a paste-like solution, add sufficient coconut oil into the combined powder ingredients. If you want, you can also include 1 to 2 drops of food-safe essential oil for tasting. Well-known options are cinnamon, mint and lemon. After that, store the paste-like solution in a jar and seal it. Use this toothpaste by brushing your teeth using 2 to 3 times a day.
2. Make Your Own Home-Made Re-Mineralizing Powder
If you want to use tooth powder as a substitute for toothpaste, you can create your own homemade tooth powder with the use of bentonite clay, as it is capable of removing out toxins and heavy metals from your teeth and neutralizes your mouth’s pH level. The clay is full of minerals such as silica, magnesium and calcium, that aid in removing the white spots on your teeth. The ingredients and procedures are below:
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp. of bentonite clay
- 3 tbsp. of calcium powder
- 1 tbsp. of cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp. of clove powder
- 1 tbsp. of xylitol powder
- 1 tbsp. of baking soda
- 2 tsp. of mint leaf powder (optional)
Procedure: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. If you want, you can also include 2 tsp of mint leaf powder or cinnamon food-safe essential oil or few drops of peppermint for a better taste of the tooth powder. After that, store your homemade tooth powder in a sealed jar and apply it onto your teeth using your toothbrush or finger, two to three times a day.
3. Rinse Your Mouth Using Green Tea Few Times A Day
Green tea has properties that can aid in removing the white spots on teeth. This tea is a vitamin and mineral-rich food that can aid your teeth to re-mineralize. Green tea also helps in preventing plaque development because it has antibacterial catechins. Also, it is a great fluoride source. To prepare green tea, follow the below procedure:
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of green tea leaves
- 1-2 cups of warm water
Procedure: Infuse 1 green tea bag into 1 to 2 cups of warm water. Before removing the bag, let the leaves inundated for 5 minutes. Let your tea cool until it becomes bearably warm. When the green tea finally gets cooled, take a mouthful of tea and for 30 seconds to 1 hour, swirl it all around your mouth. Continue the procedure until all the tea is finished. Do this process again for about 2 to 4 times a day.
4. Try The Oil Pulling Way
If you still wondering how to get rid of white spots on teeth, then read this. Oil pulling is already in ancient medication. The process uses essential oils to get rid of bacteria and toxins from the mouth. Oil pulling can also help in restoring the minerals in the teeth. Also, it avoids dry mouth and helps in whitening the teeth naturally. It is best if done in the morning after you wake up. However, it can be also done at night for fast results.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tbsp. of organic coconut oil or sesame oil
Procedure: Take approximately 1-2 tbsp. of organic coconut oil or sesame oil in your mouth. Let the oil stay around in your mouth for about 1-2 minutes. As you get used to oil pulling, if you can, systematically increase the time for about 20 minutes. After that, spit the essential oil out and rinse your mouth with warm water. After oil pulling, brush your teeth by using the re-mineralizing tooth powder or toothpaste.
5. The Application Of Lemon Juice To The Teeth
Some products that we buy on over-the-counter can actually ruin our teeth. These items have bleach and other chemicals that change the color of the enamel of our teeth and later on, weaken it. Lemon is one such that when applied in excess can damage your enamel. However, when applied occasionally, it helps in getting rid of white spots on teeth.
Procedure: Dip a cotton ball into the lemon juice that is freshly squeezed and apply it to your teeth. This is the best and safe way to remove white spots on teeth.
Seek Help From Your Dentist To Get Rid Of Your White Spots
If all of the above remedies fail to remove white spots on your teeth, know that it is time to meet your dentist.
1. Let Your Teeth To Be Bleached Professionally
The dentist can look at the white spots and decide if bleaching can help and if it is safe based on the enamel’s state.
2. Inquire Information About Techniques On Abrasion
Another way that the dentist uses is by scrubbing the white spots on the teeth. However, it is only applicable for small spots because extreme abrasion can tear the enamel away.
3. Think About Having Chemical Microabrasion
Chemical microabrasion is also a way to remove white spots on teeth by tenderly getting rid of the calcium deposit that causes the discoloration in teeth.
4. Let Your White Spots Be Removed Using Resin Infiltration System
This process helps by stopping the enamel-eating acid to enter the tooth. It also conserves the teeth from additional damage.
5. Experience Topical Re-Mineralization Therapy
This treatment is similar to homemade remedies but the only difference is that it works faster compared to those home remedies with the use of recommended gums and paste.
How To Prevent White Spots From Appearing?
1. Practice Good Oral Hygiene Always
Brush your teeth 2 times a day and check the fluoride content of the toothpaste that you use. Don’t forget to floss your teeth to remove the remains of the food that got stuck up between your teeth. And the last one is, have your teeth checked by the dentist twice a year for teeth cleaning and detecting early stages of tooth decay.
2. Never Drink Or Eat Food That Is Harmful To Your Teeth
There are foods that can destroy the teeth’s enamel with high acid content. Avoid drinks with high sugar content like carbonated soda and be aware of food that has artificial sweeteners.
3. To Re-Mineralize Your Teeth, Eat Mineral And Vitamin-Rich Foods
Eat foods that are rich in vitamin and calcium such as yoghurt, cheese and milk, as it makes your teeth strong and prevents it from having white spots. Foods high in magnesium are also good for your teeth. The food resources include avocado, fish, soybeans, dark leafy greens, seeds and nuts.
4. Drink Lots Of Water
Water helps by preventing the mouth to be acidic and maintains the pH level of the mouth into neutral.
5. Avoid Caffeine And Tobacco Products
Caffeine and tobacco stains the teeth. Caffeine is highly acidic. It ruins the enamel of your teeth whereas tobacco increases the tartar and plaque formation on the teeth.
Good information..