Small Black Spot on Front of Tooth

[Harry Platypus]

Hi all!

When I was younger I had braces, the orthodontist happened to chip my front tooth while pulling off the bracket and I noticed it had chipped off a piece of my enamel. It wasn't noticeable whatsoever for a few years, I could barely feel it, then over the ages of 20-21 it began to discolor.

It has now looked the same and not progressed in any way in five years. It's just embarrassing to smile when you have a spot on your front tooth. I went to a dentist to see if there was anything they could do and they confirmed it wasn't a cavity and they could fix it, but it'd cost $1000 I don't have. He didn't tell me how he would fix it either, so he could have meant pulling my teeth and giving me dentures for all I know.

Anyways, I'm really hoping someone here can help me figure out a way to remove or severely lighten this spot on my tooth, I've been self conscious of it for years and it prevents me from engaging or feeling comfortable in social situations.
Any feedback helps, thanks!

I have attached an image of the spot on my front tooth, sorry for the quality and lighting, but hopefully you can get a better idea of what I mean.

 

[Harry Platypus]

Well, like I said in my first post, the chip has been in my enamel for around 10 years and the discoloration has stayed the same for about 5. So before I rush off to the dentist and have him scrape my enamel off for an irreversible procedure, I'd like to know there's nothing I can do to just lighten the spot.

 

[Enrique]

New filling compounds match tooth color and one can't even tell they are there. I have most of one front tooth that is a compound. There are so many great new dental techniques, that no one will ever know. Take care of it while it's small. And, some of us have weak enamel or other causes of decay, so let's leave out the judgment about someone else's dental care unless we know them.

 

[Plaza Dental Group]

In my opinion, clean your teeth might give you a feeling they are loose. This is only temporary. The tartar was removed from your teeth. They will tighten up immediately. I am so sorry about the staining of your teeth, but it a common problem. It looks like enamel fluoridise because of your early childhood in a high fluoride area. If that's the case, regular professional cleaning and polishing will help a bit. Also a process called micro abrasion to get rid of superficial defective enamel and getting a better surface to attract less stain will help. Regular mild dose teeth whitening can also help keeping them nice and white. . I would have my teeth cleaned professionally and also have some of the stains and pits removed by micro abrasion. It will smooth the teeth, creating a nicer feel and look and then I would have some whitening done.