Brown & white stain treatment at Dr. Elston Wong Dentistry
Get rid of unsightly white or brown stains without drilling
Overly white or brown patches on the face of the teeth are forms of enamel hypocalcification (sometimes referred to as dysmineralization), where something went awry during the early stages of tooth formation. Contrary to some advice, not all of these lesions need to be drilled away and replaced with fillings or veneers! We offer noninvasive, painless ways to address these stains.
Microabrasion removes a hair’s thickness of enamel off the surface, allowing the enamel to rebuild properly. This is particularly suitable for the brown patches, and is expected to improve over time as the tooth surface remineralizes. Resin infiltration chemically perfuses porous enamel (the white spots) with resin, improving the light dispersion within the tooth to match the rest of the tooth.
Because white and brown spots often coexist, a blended technique of microabrasion and then resin infiltration is often used to correct the aesthetic defect!
Fast facts
Enamel microabrasion and resin infiltration are both safe for teeth.
These are noninvasive techniques that are usually completed in one 1.5h appointment.
No anesthetic is required for microabrasion or resin infiltration
Bleaching or veneers can still be done afterwards if the spots do not respond fully!
The process
Step One
Evaluation: if there are superficial enamel defects that are potentially treated with Icon resin infiltration or microabrasion, we will take photographs preoperatively and inform you about the process, and estimated costs.
Step Two
Treatment: usually completed using a non-latex rubber dam to ensure a clean field. Both microabrasion and resin infiltrations are easy surface treatments. Immediate results are expected, which actually improve over time in the case of microabrasion!
Step Three
Reevaluation: several months after treatment, we can see if further methods like bleaching, or veneers are required. Even if they are, the amount of drilling required will be minimized!
Let the results speak for themselves
Looking for real life transformations? Take a look at some before and after examples.
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Microabrasion FAQs
How well does microabrasion or resin infiltration work?
Both of these treatments are surface treatments, meaning that they work on the surface enamel defects. They are always worth trying first, because one never knows how deep a defect goes, but these may need to be followed up with porcelain veneers.
How do you decide on whitening, microabrasion, and resin infiltration?
Whitening will brighten teeth, but will not eliminate the white or brown spots of enamel hypocalcification. In fact, bleaching may make those spots even more visible! The best is a combination approach: microabrasion for the brown spots, resin infiltration for the white spots, and bleaching to whiten the teeth overall.
How long will it take to notice results?
The results from both microabrasion and resin infiltration are immediate. But wait! That’s not all! With microabrasion, as the enamel surface rebuilds, the appearance will improve over time!
Can it work on teeth that have already had fillings, but there is staining around the edges?
No. Both microabrasion and resin infiltration are surface treatments for enamel. When the enamel is gone (like when fillings have been done), the only solutions for improved aesthetics would be other fillings or veneers / crowns to repair the previous materials.
Can microabrasion or resin infiltration be done more than once?
Both of these treatments are intended to be one-time treatments. If the results are still unsatisfactory (likely due to super-deep enamel defects), then alternate treatment will be required, such as veneers.
How long do results last?
Enamel microabrasion is a mature technique, and results have been shown to last more than two decades! Resin infiltration is a younger technology but even still, the results so far seem to show no degradation of the effect!
