A beautiful bright smile shows the world you’re confident, happy, and healthy. For special occasions such as weddings, reunions, and holidays, or just to look great every day, if you know your teeth sparkle, you feel your best.
Even with regular home hygiene, yellowing, dullness or surface staining can occur. These can be due to numerous factors: drinking tea, coffee or wine, smoking, illness or even age.
Many different methods for tooth whitening are available, from low-strength options one can do at home, to more lasting and effective options conducted by the dentist.
For gentle, natural lifting of surface stains, The American Dental Association suggests eating fruit that contains malic acid, such as apples and strawberries. One can also use over-the- counter toothpastes, adhesive strips, mouthwashes or even gum.
However these at-home methods only subtly and temporarily alleviate mild surface staining. For a deeper and longer lasting whitening that offers immediate visible results, you should visit your dentist. A dentist will assess your teeth prior to undertaking any treatment to ensure she uses the best whitening option for you.
There are a variety of safe, tested methods that allow your dentist to easily and painlessly remove years of stains and restore or create a stunning smile.
Bleaching is the most common dentist-recommended treatment as it safely and quickly treats both surface and deeper tooth staining. A popular treatment is customized bleaching trays. The dentist custom fits a tray to your teeth, which increases the exposure and contact of the bleach to each tooth and allows the patient to whiten his teeth gradually at home. Zoom whitening or other light-dependent treatments is another very effective whitening method performed by the dentist. Unlike at-home bleaching that produces gentle results over time, this treatment incorporates bleaching with an advanced power lamp, which accelerates the whitening effect and leaves patients with dazzling smiles after just one visit.
With any whitening treatment, whether at home or in-office, the most typical side effect is some temporary mild tooth sensitivity, more or less noticeable depending on the frequency and strength of the treatment. The most significant sensitivity, however, comes when there are pre-existing cavities, decay or gum recession. This is why it is so important to visit the dentist for a consultation prior to applying any whitening treatment. At Dental Care For You, Dr. Fadavi will examine your teeth and discuss the various whitening options with you depending on your particular needs. She may also recommend a cleaning prior to treatment if calculus or plaque are present as these act as a barrier over the enamel and prevent any whitening treatment from being effective.
White teeth represent our total health. If decay, damage, or even mild yellowing is preventing you from smiling the way you dream about, please see a dentist to discuss your options. Whether you crave whiter teeth for a special occasion or just for looking great every day, our goal is to give you the bright confident smile you deserve.
