I am horrified. I paid a lot of money to get braces for my son because he had such crazy, crooked teeth. They stuck out in the front. We felt that braces were our best option for him. He had the braces on for two years and just got them off the end of last month. His teeth were straight and the alignment was great, but his teeth have stains around where the brackets were. Apparently he didn’t brush well. He’s happy to not have his teeth stick out, but what good are straight teeth if they have stains. He doesn’t want to smile still. Will those stains come off? What can we do?

Stacie, San Diego

Dear Stacie,

Your son is not the first to not take care of his teeth with his braces on. It is common to see staining on kids’ teeth when the brackets come off. There is hope! It depends on what type of stain your son’s teeth have, but here are some options.

• Teeth polishing. First, if the stains are just on the surface, sometimes just a good polishing from the dentist will be enough to take care of the stains. This can sometimes help with cement residue from the brackets, as well.
• Teeth whitening. Next, if the stains are deeper in the teeth, whitening may help. This can be done in the dental office or through at-home bleaching trays.
• Bonding. Finally, if the stains were caused by decay where the braces were, dental bonding may help. Fortunately, bonding can be done after tooth polishing or dental whitening if they don’t work to match the coloration of the teeth.

To get started, it may be best to visit a cosmetic dentist to understand what caused the stains so you can create a path to a white smile your son will want to show off.

This blog is sponsored by Baton Rouge dentist Ryan P. Perry.