Different Ways To Whitening Your Teeth

Whitening you teeth is easy to do. It can make you smile with more confidence by significantly improving your appearance. Research indicates that more and more people are retaining their natural teeth. This is because of better hygiene and more proactive preventative care.

However, as teeth age, they begin to darken naturally. Teeth darken even more after years of prolonged exposure to coffee, wine, tea, cola, and cigarette stone. Teeth become stained and appear dull.

Home Bleaching
If you are intent on whitening your teeth, there are many things you can do. Home teeth whitening is currently one of the most popular methods. It begins with an initial dental visit, where the dentist fits you with a custom bleaching tray.

He or she will also give you a whitening gel that is best for you, and you will also be given a full set of instructions on how to get the best results from your home teeth whitening process.

It normally takes two or three days of wearing the custom tray to see results. Tobacco stains, however, make take several days longer to bleach out.

Power Bleaching
If you want faster results, you ask for in-office power bleaching. This procedure uses a solution activated by heat and light. The solution contains oxygen, which penetrates tooth enamel.

This helps remove stains from under the surface, letting more of the inner tooth show through the translucent enamel, whitening the teeth in the process. With power bleaching, it usually only takes one office visit to whiten your teeth.

This may be your best option if you are busy professional with little time available to take off from work. However, if your teeth are badly stained, you may have to come in for another session, or use home teeth whitening methods in conjunction with office bleaching. Power bleaching offers results that will last for years if regular dental cleanings and touch ups are consistently followed.

Over the Counter Bleaching
Over-the-counter bleaching kits are everywhere. As dental professionals, we discourage the use of these kits. Because they use one-size-fits-all bleaching trays, sensitive gum tissue will be exposed to too much of the bleaching gel. This will irritate the gums.

Generic home tooth whitening kits can also damage tooth enamel and even harm the inner pulp chamber. This is why dentists make personalized kits for patients by prescription only.

It maximizes the effect of the bleaching gel where it is supposed to go?on the teeth?and keeps it away from soft, sensitive mouth tissues.

Teeth whitening toothpastes are not much better, either. They use chemicals and abrasives to remove stains. Many people overbrush when using these pastes, and they end up damaging or even removing enamel in the process.

Let a Professional Handle Whitening Your Teeth
Everyone is different, and everyone will experience different results from tooth bleaching. The colors of stains also affect the results of these procedures. Brown, orange, and yellow tone stains are much easier to remove than grayish stains.

If a dentist determines tooth whitening will not work for you, do not despair. We have several alternatives ranging from veneers, inlays, onlays, and dental crowns that can make teeth look natural and brand new.