Is decalcification common?

How do I get rid of decalcification marks?

• Long story short, I didn't realize how important brushing was when I was 13-14 and had braces. Some days I would just run a wet toothbrush over my teeth without toothpaste for less than a minute and call it a day. I almost never brushed at night, and I didn't floss or use mouthwash. When I got my braces off, my teeth were really yellow and I had bad decalcification only on my top teeth. Now that almost four years have passed, my teeth are really white, but the decalcification marks are still there. They are on the top six front teeth, and I always feel really self-conscious about them. They're not visible from about two feet away, but I always notice them and I feel so disgusting. I've tried GC MI Paste, and it hasn't really made a difference. I noticed that it took out a tiny spot on one of my teeth, but the area it remineralized was still a different color from my original tooth! I really want veneers, but I'm only 17 and I know getting veneers are really expensive. I just want to cry. I want to rewind time. I wish I had taken so much better care of my teeth. When I was 13-14, I was the geekiest girl ever, with glasses and braces, and I wasn't popular at all. I didn't smile at all, and no one really talked to me, which was why I barely cared about oral hygiene. Four years later, I no longer have the glasses nor braces, I've lost weight, and I really like how I look, but I just wish my teeth would be clean. The spots themselves are white, but it's a different shade of white from the rest of my tooth. I'm going to college this fall and I want to arrive with a confident smile. I'm afraid of smiling close to people because I know they'll see my decalcification and be grossed out by it. PLEASE HELP!

• Answer:

  The MI Paste is used more for technical purposes, not really cosmetic (like they'll restore the area, but they usually don't go back to normal tooth color, at least with my experience). Have you tried bleaching your teeth? You can just use the kind from the grocery store or, if you need to, just go to your dentist and have them professionally whitened. It's more expensive than the $30 box at Wal-Mart, but it will sure as hell be a lot cheaper than veneers :P And I know you're self conscious, but honey to be honest it's probably not as bad as you would think it to be. I remember when my sister got her braces off she was *crying* because of the stains she thought were so bad, but I couldn't see anything-- they looked normal to me. Like I said, it's all in perspective. I'm sure they'll go away with time :)