How to Get Rid of White Spots on Teeth After Braces: My Journey

My Shocking Discovery After Braces Removal

I still remember that day vividly. After two and a half years of metal braces – the regular adjustments, avoiding sticky foods, and diligently cleaning around those awkward brackets – the moment had finally arrived. I was getting my braces removed! I practically skipped into my orthodontist’s office that morning, imagining how perfect my smile would look.

But when the dental assistant handed me that little mirror after removing all the hardware, my excitement quickly turned to dismay. There they were – scattered across my front teeth like little white islands on an otherwise normal sea of enamel. White spots. Not just tiny ones either, but noticeable patches that stood out against the rest of my teeth.

“What are these?” I asked, trying not to sound as devastated as I felt.

My orthodontist explained they were areas of decalcification – essentially early signs of decay where minerals had leached out of my teeth. Apparently, despite my brushing efforts, plaque had built up around my brackets, and the acid from that plaque had damaged my enamel in those specific spots.

I was crushed. I’d invested years and thousands of dollars to get a perfect smile, only to end up with these permanent-looking white patches. When I asked if they would go away on their own, my orthodontist’s hesitant “not exactly” sent my heart sinking further.

That started my obsessive journey into finding white spots on teeth after braces home remedies that actually worked. I wasn’t about to accept that these spots would be my new normal, especially not after everything I’d already gone through for straight teeth!

Understanding Why White Spots Form After Braces

Before diving into remedies, I needed to understand exactly what I was dealing with. Those white spots have a fancy name – “post-orthodontic decalcification” or sometimes “white spot lesions” (WSLs). Through my research and conversations with dental professionals, I discovered several reasons why these spots form:

1. Poor Oral Hygiene: This was a tough pill to swallow, but brackets and wires create countless tiny spaces where food particles and bacteria can hide. Even though I thought I was brushing well, apparently I wasn’t reaching all those trouble spots effectively.
2. Mineral Loss: The white appearance comes from demineralization – essentially the first stage of a cavity forming. Acids from plaque bacteria leach calcium and phosphate from the tooth enamel, changing its appearance before actually creating a hole.
3. Fixed Appliances: The very presence of braces makes proper cleaning more difficult and creates “sheltered” areas where plaque can accumulate undisturbed.
4. Diet Choices: All those sodas and sweet treats I occasionally indulged in (who can resist completely for 2+ years?) contributed to more acid attacks on my enamel.

My orthodontist explained that approximately 50% of patients develop some form of white spots after braces. Why didn’t anyone warn me about this before? I wondered if I could have prevented them entirely with better habits during treatment.

The most frustrating part was learning that once enamel is damaged, it doesn’t regenerate completely on its own. However, it can be remineralized to some extent, which became my focus. The enamel is still structurally intact in these white spot areas – it’s just more porous and has lost minerals, giving it that chalky white appearance.

With this knowledge, I set out to find solutions that would help restore minerals to my damaged enamel and hopefully reduce the appearance of these annoying white patches.

Professional Treatments I Considered (But Didn’t All Try)

Before exploring home remedies, I researched professional treatments my dentist had mentioned. Just so you know what’s out there:

Microabrasion: This process involves using mild acid and an abrasive agent to remove a tiny layer of enamel, potentially eliminating shallow white spots. My dentist mentioned this could cost between $100-300 per tooth.

Dental Veneers: For severe cases, custom-made porcelain shells can cover the entire front surface of teeth. This option seemed extreme and expensive ($800-2,000 per tooth) for my situation.

Professional Teeth Whitening: Some dentists suggested that whitening the entire tooth could make white spots less noticeable by bringing the overall tooth color closer to the white spot shade. Sessions run about $300-500.

ICON Resin Infiltration: This newer treatment involves applying a resin material that penetrates the porous enamel of white spots, changing how they reflect light. It costs around $400-800 depending on how many teeth need treatment.

With these prices giving me sticker shock, I decided to try home remedies first. If those didn’t work, I could always save up for professional treatment later.

White Spots on Teeth After Braces Home Remedies That Actually Worked For Me

After months of experimentation, here are the home methods that genuinely made a difference in reducing my white spots:

1. Remineralizing Toothpaste with Calcium Phosphate

Regular fluoride toothpaste wasn’t cutting it, so I switched to specialized remineralizing toothpastes containing calcium phosphate compounds (specifically nano-hydroxyapatite).

My favorite became Apagard Royal, a Japanese toothpaste I ordered online. It wasn’t cheap (about $16 for a small tube), but I noticed subtle improvements after about 3 weeks of twice-daily use. The white spots began to look slightly less opaque.

I later tried other options like Sensodyne Repair & Protect and MI Paste Plus (which requires a prescription in some places). The key ingredients to look for are:

• Nano-hydroxyapatite
• Calcium sodium phosphosilicate (NovaMin)
• Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP)

These compounds help replace the minerals lost from your enamel. I brushed for a full three minutes twice daily, focusing extra time on the areas with white spots.

2. Fluoride Mouthwash with Modified Technique

I incorporated a prescription-strength fluoride mouthwash (Prevident) into my routine, but with a twist that my dental hygienist friend suggested.

Instead of just swishing and spitting, I would:

1. Take a small amount in my mouth after brushing at night
2. Swish for 30 seconds
3. Using my finger, directly rub the mouthwash onto the white spot areas for another 30 seconds
4. Spit without rinsing
5. Not eat or drink anything after

This targeted application seemed to help the fluoride really penetrate those specific areas. After about two months of this technique, some of my smaller white spots were noticeably less visible.

3. Oil Pulling with a Strategic Twist

Oil pulling is an ancient technique using oils to clean teeth, but I modified it specifically for white spots. Every morning, I would:

1. Take a tablespoon of coconut oil (organic, cold-pressed)
2. Add 2 drops of tea tree oil for its antimicrobial properties
3. Swish vigorously for 15 minutes while showering (multitasking!)
4. Focus on pushing and pulling the oil between my front teeth where the white spots were
5. Spit into the trash (never down the drain – it can clog pipes)
6. Rinse with warm salt water

While oil pulling is somewhat controversial in dental circles, I noticed it helped with overall tooth appearance, making the contrast between regular enamel and white spots less noticeable after about 3-4 weeks of daily use.

4. Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide Paste (Occasional Use Only)

I want to be clear – this is not for daily use as it can be abrasive if overused. Once a week, I would make a paste with:

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Few drops of 1.5% hydrogen peroxide (diluted from regular 3%)
• Tiny pinch of salt

I’d apply this directly to white spots using a Q-tip, leave it for 2 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. This seemed to help with surface stains around the white spots, making them blend slightly better with the rest of my teeth.

My dentist later told me this works because it gently removes surface stains while the peroxide has a mild whitening effect on the surrounding enamel. However, she warned against doing this more than once weekly to prevent enamel damage.

5. Cheese: The Unexpected Hero in My Journey

This sounds weird, but eating cheese became part of my white spot treatment plan. Research suggests that certain cheeses, particularly aged cheddar, help neutralize acids and provide calcium and phosphorus that can remineralize teeth.

I got into the habit of eating a small piece of aged cheddar cheese after meals when I couldn’t brush right away. After about two months of this “hardship” (ha!), combined with my other remedies, I noticed continued improvement in my white spots.

The casein protein in cheese forms a protective film on tooth enamel and helps deliver calcium exactly where it’s needed. Plus, chewing cheese stimulates saliva production, which naturally helps clean and protect teeth.

My Complete Daily Routine That Diminished White Spots

After experimenting with various methods, I developed this daily routine that gave me the best results over a six-month period:

Morning:

• Oil pulling with coconut and tea tree oil (15 minutes)
• Brushing with remineralizing toothpaste (3 minutes)
• Flossing with traditional string floss
• Brief targeted fluoride mouthwash application

After Meals:

• Rinsing with water
• Piece of cheddar cheese when unable to brush
• Avoiding acidic drinks and foods when possible

Evening:

• Thorough brushing with remineralizing toothpaste
• Flossing with a water flosser
• Targeted application of prescription fluoride mouthwash
• Application of MI Paste directly on white spots before bed (twice weekly)
• Weekly baking soda treatment

Additional Changes:

• Drinking through straws when having acidic beverages
• Increasing my water intake to maintain good saliva production
• Taking a vitamin D supplement to help with calcium absorption (after confirming I was deficient through a blood test)

Before and After: My Results After Six Months

After six months of diligent application of these white spots on teeth after braces home remedies, I saw significant improvement. The most dramatic results were:

1. Two tiny white spots completely disappeared
2. Larger spots reduced in opacity by about 50-60%
3. The contrast between spots and normal enamel decreased significantly
4. Overall tooth appearance improved

The spots weren’t completely gone, but they were much less noticeable. In photos, you could barely see them anymore, which was a huge confidence boost for me. In certain lighting, they were still visible if you were looking for them, but casual observers wouldn’t notice.

I shared my before and after photos with my dentist, who was genuinely impressed with the improvement. She confirmed that I had achieved significant remineralization and suggested continuing my routine.

Mistakes I Made That You Should Avoid

Through this process, I made some errors that actually made my white spots temporarily worse:

1. Over-whitening attempt: Early on, I tried using whitening strips to make my regular enamel match the white spots. This backfired spectacularly – the white spots stayed the same while the rest of my teeth got whiter, increasing the contrast! I had to stop and wait several weeks before starting my remineralization routine.
2. Using lemon juice as a natural whitener: I read online about using lemon juice to whiten teeth. The acidity actually made the white spots more pronounced by further demineralizing my already vulnerable enamel. Never again!
3. Aggressive brushing: Initially, I brushed the white spot areas harder, thinking I could scrub them away. This only irritated my gums and potentially removed more minerals. Gentle, thorough cleaning is much more effective.
4. Inconsistency: During vacation, I got lazy with my routine for about two weeks. I noticed regression in my progress that took almost a month to regain. Consistency really is key with remineralization.

Why Prevention Is Better (For Those Still in Braces)

If you’re currently wearing braces, please learn from my experience! Here’s what I wish I’d done differently to prevent white spots in the first place:

1. Invest in an electric toothbrush with orthodontic head: The specialized brush heads can clean around brackets much more effectively.
2. Use a water flosser daily: Traditional flossing with braces is hard, but a water flosser can blast away plaque from those difficult areas.
3. Consider professional fluoride treatments: During my braces journey, I declined the fluoride treatments my orthodontist offered. Big mistake!
4. Use disclosing tablets monthly: These chewable tablets temporarily stain plaque so you can see exactly where you’re missing during brushing.
5. Limit acidic and sugary foods: I wouldn’t have given up all treats, but I would have been more careful about frequency.

Conclusion: There Is Hope For Your White Spots

Living with white spots after braces can be disappointing after investing so much in orthodontic treatment. But I want you to know there’s definitely hope for improvement with consistent home care.

The white spots on teeth after braces home remedies I’ve shared worked for me gradually over six months. The key is patience and consistency – these aren’t overnight solutions, but they do work with time.

If home remedies don’t give you the results you want after 6-8 months of consistent use, then professional treatments like microabrasion or resin infiltration might be worth considering. But I’d recommend trying these more affordable options first.

Has anyone else dealt with white spots after braces? I’d love to hear what remedies worked for you in the comments below. And if you’re trying any of these methods, keep me posted on your results!

Disclaimer: I’m sharing my personal experience, not providing medical advice. Always consult your dentist before starting any dental treatment regimen, especially if you have sensitive teeth or other dental conditions.