A white spot is making me lose my mind

[JasmineTilde]

My smile teeth all look fine, but there is a small white spot on one next to one of my upper front teeth that has been plaguing me for years.

I went to the dentist's recently and had a cleaning, some X-rays and he evaluated my cavities, and I've been kicking myself about being too afraid to think to ask about it. He never mentioned it as any cause for concern.

How likely is it to turn into a cavity? And how soon? I brush regularly and floss, and I'm working to improve my dietary habits. All because of this stupid white spot.

 

[drm]

Small white spots on front teeth are surprisingly common. You just don't notice them because you don't have to get really close to people's front teeth like I do!

White spots can be caused by a variety of different things. The most common are...

• Enamel dysplasia. The enamel didn't form quite right. The teeth come in with the spot and they stay like this.
• Decalcification. A high sugar / high acid environment in your mouth can start to break down the enamel. In the very early stages this looks like a white spot.
• Fluorosis. If you had a bit too much fluoride in childhood, your permanent teeth can come in with white or brown spots.

If the white spot on your tooth has been the same without changing for several years it is most likely nothing to worry about. If it is a big problem cosmetically your dentist can recommend a couple of different things to fix it depending on what type of white spot it is and how big it is.