“We had tried whitening his teeth and it helped the overall
color, but the white spot was visible. Then I heard about a new procedure
where I can infiltrate the tooth with specialized liquids that diminishes the
white spots. We were so focused on that one spot that we didn’t even realize
there was a smaller one on the other tooth.”
– KAREN WILLIAMSON, DDS
By
Meredith
Knight
Dr. Karen Williamson often hears
patients ask, “Can anything be done to get rid of this white spot on my
tooth?” White spots can appear on teeth due to fluorosis (caused by
too much fluoride on the teeth during development) or demineralization. They
can also appear after orthodontic treatment, in areas around the brackets
that weren’t brushed well enough, because part of the minerals of the tooth
are now missing. When the light hits the tooth, you see a white spot.
Whatever the reason, it can be bothersome when you look in the mirror and all
you notice are the white rings or spots.
For most of
the 30 years Dr. Williamson has practiced family dentistry, there wasn’t much
she could do about these pesky white spots. Now, however, she has a wonderful
solution in her arsenal. “In the past, the only thing I could do was to
whiten the rest of the tooth and bring it closer to the color of the white
spot so it wasn’t as noticeable,” she said. “Porcelain veneers and bonding
could serve to cover the entire tooth, including the white spot but required
removal of healthy tooth structure. I hesitated to recommend such an invasive
treatment, especially since the white spot usually goes further into the
tooth than what you see.”
One longtime
patient of Dr. Williamson was facing that very dilemma and had resigned
himself to getting a bonding procedure. “We had tried whitening his teeth and it helped the
overall color, but the
white spot was
visible,” Dr. Williamson said.
“Then I heard about a new
procedure where I can
infiltrate the tooth with specialized liquids that diminishes the white
spots.” Dr. Williamson underwent training for this new technique and obtained the appropriate
technology.
The
procedure took only 30 minutes and was completely non-invasive and painless.
The patient walked out of the office, a half hour later, with his white spot
gone. “We were so focused on that one spot that we didn’t even realize there
was a smaller one on the other tooth,” Dr. Williamson said. The patient is so
happy with the outcome of this first procedure, he is returning to have the
procedure done on the adjacent tooth.
Meet Dr.
Williamson
Over the
past 30 years, Dr. Williamson has provided general, restorative, and cosmetic
dentistry to the families of Rockwall — and beyond — with an emphasis on
incorporating the latest, most advanced technology into her practice for
safer, more comfortable, and
more precise treatment. For Dr.
Williamson, that’s meant well over 200 hours of continuing education each
year. She’s even currently working toward her certification in forensic
dentistry to help offer closure to
families who’ve lost a loved one through disaster or violence.
Dr.
Williamson is a proud Rockwall resident. She obtained her dental degree from
Baylor College of Dentistry in 1990 and completed a one-year residency
program at the VA Medical Center in Dallas, specializing in general
dentistry. She then completed additional training at Children’s Hospital
Dallas and Denton State School before opening her private general
dentistry practice in Rockwall
in 1993. Find out more at KarenWilliamsonDDS.com.
CONTACT
560 West
Ralph Hall Parkway, Suite 104
Rockwall, Texas 75032
