What is teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening is a dental procedure where stains and discoloration of your teeth are removed, giving you brighter and whiter teeth. Teeth whitening can make you have better-looking teeth. Just about any dentist can perform this procedure of teeth whitening.

Why do our teeth get stained and discolored?

There are many reasons why our teeth get stained and discolored. One reason is from the food that we eat and the beverages that we drink. Some foods can easily stain our teeth. This includes coffee, tea, red wine and more. These foods and beverages have intense color pigments that attach to your enamel.

Smoking can also cause teeth discoloration. The chemical found in tobacco can cause stains. These chemicals are tar and nicotine. Tar is a dark substance and nicotine when mixed with oxygen turns into a yellowish substance that stains surfaces.

Aging is another reason for having discolored teeth. With age, the enamel gets thinner with brushing and it exposes the yellowish colored dentin which is the soft area underneath the white enamel.

Trauma is another cause of teeth discoloration. If you have had an injury to the mouth, your tooth may change color. The mouth reacts to the injury by laying down more dentin.

Our tooth enamel contains pores that can easily pick up stains. Stains can also be possible to have inside the tooth. This is a result of being exposed to too much fluoride when your teeth were still developing as a young child.

What is involved in teeth whitening?

Before the procedure beings, cavities need to be treated since it can affect the success of the whitening procedure. If you have cavities, the whitening solution can enter the decaying areas of your teeth and end up in the inner parts of your tooth. And this makes your teeth very sensitive. The same is true if you have receding gums. The roots of your teeth may be exposed and it may appear yellow or discolored but teeth whitening products will not make them white. If you have false teeth like dentures, crowns or veneers, the teeth whitening will not work as well. If everything is taken care of, your dentist will take a photograph of your teeth to help him monitor the progress of the treatment. Then he will clean your teeth to remove whatever substances have built up on your teeth that is making it stained. Then, the whitening procedure starts. The most common type of teeth whitening procedure is with the use of a powerful whitening gel that is applied to the tooth directly. The main ingredient of this product is some form of hydrogen peroxide. To bleach your teeth, a specialized light or laser helps to activate the gel so that the teeth are bleached faster.

You will need a few appointments for teeth whitening depending on how severe your stains and how white you want your teeth to be. Some dentists recommend continuing the bleaching process at home for a few days or weeks.

If you are going to continue the whitening process at home, your dentist can make a tray or a custom mouthpiece that will fit and which will hold the whitening gel. This is done by taking impressions of your upper and lower teeth. This mouthpiece fits your teeth perfectly so that it can help the whitening agent to remain in contact with your teeth. You need to apply the gel several hours daily for two to three weeks.

If you need to whiten a tooth that has had root canal treatment, another procedure will be used since the stain is coming from the inside of the tooth. This procedure whitens the teeth from the inside. A whitening agent is placed inside the tooth and then a temporary filling is placed over it. this can be done just once or until the desired shade is attained.

Remember that whitening is not permanent. Stains can come back depending on the foods and beverages that you take. But if you avoid these staining foods, you may not need another whitening treatment for 6 to 12 months.

What are the benefits of teeth whitening?

1. Teeth whitening makes you look young.

White teeth are usually associated with youth and beauty. So, if you have white teeth, it will make you look and feel younger. When we have a beautiful smile, we look younger. When people look at us, they judge our age with facial expressions. With white teeth, you tend to have a happy, smiling face and this plays a great part in determining your age.

2. Teeth whitening boosts your self-confidence.

When people assess your personality, one of the first things they use is your smile. If you undergo teeth whitening, stains in your teeth will be removed and you can give out a confident smile to anyone. Your smile doesn’t have to give you embarrassment anymore. You will be more confident in meeting and speaking with people.

3. Teeth whitening methods are very conservative.

With teeth whitening, tooth preparation is not required like when you are having crowns or veneers. It just involves a bit of cleaning before they apply the teeth whitening bleach. It will give you a lovely result in a very conservative manner.

4. It is very easy to maintain teeth that have been whitened.

You can ask your dentist for the whitening gel to apply at home. With a mouthpiece and whitening gel, you will be able to refresh your white teeth when it suits you. The color of your teeth will be retained by just spending 30 minutes a day with your mouthpiece on. Just make sure to avoid staining foods and beverages to limit the time for re-whitening your teeth.

5. Teeth whitening can improve your oral health.

With white teeth, you are now more conscious of being consistent with your oral care routine. With white teeth, you are more consistent in brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing it daily. We also want to go to our dentist for scheduled cleaning. With good oral health, your overall health will improve.

Professional whitening treatments are reliable and long-lasting. At AZ Specialty Dental, we strive to provide you with a better smile. If you have any questions with teeth whitening, feel free to visit us today. We accept walk-in patients, and we are open Monday through Saturday including holidays.