Sometimes patients come to us and notice dark spots on their teeth with no sensitivity and they are concerned. With the two photos here can you tell the difference on close-up photos? You probably can. However, when looking in the mouth from a mirror a little distance away it may be hard to discern the difference. We utilize an instrument that can feel the soft decayed areas vs. any hard stained areas as our primary diagnostic tool in addition to X-Rays. If you have not been to a dentist in a while and you notice something that you think might be decay it is better to be safe and make a dental appointment just to make sure as incipient or decay that is just starting can be very hard to distinguish from surface stain.
(The information contained in this article is strictly for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the professional knowledge or advice of your personal dentist.)
