Teeth whitening treatments are available to help brighten any smile. Here are the facts you should know as you explore your options.
A beautiful smile takes preventative oral health care and, in some cases, restorative or cosmetic treatments. One of the most common requests for cosmetic treatments is teeth whitening.
With at-home products available, along with professional whitening services from your dentist, you have a variety of options. But is teeth whitening a great option for you? Are some methods more effective than others?
Common Causes Of Tooth Discoloration
If you’re experiencing discoloration in your teeth, a large number of contributing factors could be at play. Here are just a few that might be responsible for yours:
• Age: Aging can lead to enamel wear naturally, exposing your teeth to a greater risk of stains or discoloration.
• Medications: Some medications can have side effects, making your teeth more susceptible to discoloration.
• Foods & Beverages: With prolonged exposure, acidic foods and dark-colored beverages will begin to discolor your teeth and erode your enamel.
• Tobacco Products: Tobacco products will deposit dark particles throughout your mouth. Additionally, prolonged tobacco use will dehydrate your mouth, allowing stains to attach to your enamel.
Teeth Whitening In-Office
Using Zoom® and Brite Smile® whitening methods, patients will receive gel application and high-powered lights for a one-hour treatment session. These professional treatments use hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide to help penetrate the enamel and oxidize the discolored molecules within the hard tooth structure.
How At-Home Whiteners Work
The over the counter, at-home whitening treatments typically provide a one-size-fits-all dental tray for gel application on your teeth. While some might notice improvements in the brightness of their smiles, most don’t see the results they would otherwise while under the supervision of a dental professional.
Dental Prescribed At-Home Treatments
You can work with your dental professional to develop a whitening plan with the same effectiveness as the in-office formulas for at-home use. These solutions might include whitening gels you can use in your oral health routine, with customized dental trays and precise instructions for application and use.
How Teeth Whitening Toothpaste Works
Whitening toothpaste varieties remove surface stains from your teeth with the use of abrasives and special chemicals that dissolve stains. To see a brighter smile, you’ll need to use a whitening toothpaste for three to six weeks consecutively. Some brands instead use blue Covarine, a chemical that creates a thin microfilm over your teeth that changes the appearance of the color.
Custom Whitening Trays Are Essential for Achieving Best Results
At-home whitening treatments can be helpful, but they aren’t always effective because the application process or whitening trays aren’t customized to fit your teeth. When you opt for professional whitening with your dentist, you’ll achieve better results because the dental practitioner will use customized whitening trays designed to fit your teeth.
With custom trays, you can be sure the whitening agent is evenly applied to all areas of your teeth. Trying to whiten at home increases the risk of uneven application that results in various shades of teeth.
Whitening Will Only Restore Your Natural Tooth Color
If you have naturally occurred discoloration in your teeth, not associated with surface stains or effects of acidic foods, whitening treatments will only whiten to shades of your natural tooth color. It’s imperative that you recognize your teeth can’t be whitened any brighter than their natural shade.
Teeth Whitening And More In Boynton Beach
Unhappy with the color of your teeth? Contact Eriks Dental Group at 561-733-4004. We are one of South Florida's premium choice for family dental care. From developing your first teeth to getting fitted for dentures, we serve the dental needs of patients in all walks of life.