Oral Health Link to Whole Body Health: A Blog

When Braces Leave Their Mark: What to Do About Teeth Marked By Braces

15 January 2018

Duane Kelly

When a patient successfully completes a course of orthodontics, removing the braces at long last can bring great relief. However, on occasion, patients are greeted by stains or marks that were not previously present on their teeth. These marks tend to be in the location where the brackets once were. They are also white in colour, noticeably more so than the rest of a tooth.

The Braces Are Not to Blame

First and foremost, the braces themselves are not to blame for these white marks. While braces do contribute to the formation of these white marks, they would not do so if patients maintained an excellent level of oral hygiene throughout their treatment.

With that said, due to the difficulty of cleaning teeth while wearing braces, even the most dedicated patients can sometimes develop white marks on their teeth. The main culprit of these marks is bacteria. When plaque, the bio-film that contains bacteria, builds up around and under brackets, a process called demineralisation occurs. Put simply, the teeth are eroding.

White Marks Can Be Prevented

Armed with the right knowledge, any orthodontic patient can prevent the formation of white spots on their teeth. Your first line of defence is dedication. Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for two minutes—under normal circumstances. However, cleaning braces, especially in the beginning, should take considerably longer until you learn to do it right.

If that takes 10 or even 20 minutes, you should be willing to sacrifice that time. However, you should also use the right tools. A standard toothbrush isn't enough. As well as using waxed floss, since normal floss shreds on brace brackets, use a water or air flosser to get at hard to reach food debris and plaque. Interproximal brushes are also ideal for reaching those little nooks and crannies under brace wires and beside brackets due to their small size.

White Marks Can Be Removed

Whitening teeth to hide these white marks is only an aesthetic solution, as are bonding and porcelain veneers. While these might hide the white marks, there is still the problem of the demineralised enamel, which could later cause problems. Fortunately, teeth can be remineralised.

Patients can apply MI (Minimal Intervention) paste, which contains ACP (amorphous calcium phosphate), to their teeth each day, and chew gum containing ACP, to remineralise the affected areas of their teeth. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of these two treatments. Continued use of these two treatments, along with toothpaste that contains flouride, will gradually diminish the white spots over time.

Prevention is the answer where white marks are concerned. However, with the help of your dentist or orthodontist, whose help will be invaluable in this matter, you can banish white marks for good—not just cover them up. 

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