Enamel damage after braces

Dr. Hall,
I am 13 and had braces on for two years. After they were removed, my top front eight teeth have enamel erosion and destruction of the tooth surface. My dentist wants to do porcelain veneers. I am a grinder also. Is this a good plan for me?
PS – The orthodontist didn’t mention this tooth destruction, and I had my teeth cleaned four times a year.
– Amber in Florida

Amber,
If you’re 13, I wouldn’t recommend the porcelain veneers for your 8 front teeth. I think that’s too aggressive a treatment for the problem you have and for your age. The enamel erosion is probably just spots around where the brackets were. I think you’d be best off getting direct dental bonding, but you’d need to go to an expert cosmetic dentist for that.

You should go to an expert cosmetic dentist anyway, if you were to get porcelain veneers, so you don’t end up being one of our cosmetic dentistry horror stories.

As far as getting your teeth cleaned four times a year, that is good that you did that, but you can see that it didn’t stop the decalcification. When you have braces, you need to brush your teeth around the braces after every time you eat. If you don’t, you risk having these spots when they’re removed, because the food just sits there and the acid-forming bacteria multiply in the decaying food and cause these spots.
– Dr. Hall

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