If your teeth appear yellowed or off-white due to staining, teeth whitening can spruce up your smile. In only an hour, your cosmetic dentist can lighten your teeth significantly using professional-strength whitening products. Whitening is very effective in correcting surface stains to give your smile a bright, new look.
Teeth Whitening and How It Works
Teeth whitening uses powerful whitening agents to remove stains from the surfaces of the teeth. During your treatment, your cosmetic dentist paints the whitener on your teeth. If necessary, she then activates it with a special light. The whitener stays on for about twenty minutes, then is removed. This process is repeated three times during the course of the appointment, meaning you’ll be in the dentist’s chair for about an hour.
Your teeth will look whiter right away, but the effects will become even more obvious over the next few days. This type of whitening is perfect for special occasions when you want to look your best, or even just to brighten your smile for everyday self-confidence.
What Causes Dental Staining?
Dental stains can occur for numerous reasons, but the most common is exposure to foods, beverages, and other substances that cause discoloration on the enamel surface. Most commonly, teeth become stained due to contact with:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Nicotine
- Wine
- Fruit juices
This type of surface staining usually responds well to teeth whitening. Other types of staining, however, do not.
The types of stains that don’t usually respond to whitening treatment are generally caused by exposure to certain substances while the teeth were developing. The most common culprits are excess fluoride and certain types of antibiotics. Fluoride can cause white patches in the teeth, while antibiotics create gray stains and lines.
Teeth can also become discolored due to injury. If your tooth turns dark brown or black after trauma, see your dentist as soon as possible. You might have suffered an injury to the tooth pulp, which will probably require a root canal procedure.
Contact us at the office of Dr. Daggula to discuss your own options!
