Dental Treatments to Whiten Your Smile
Teeth can become darker, duller, yellower, or stained over time. Sometimes this occurs due to consuming foods or drinks that contain staining agents. But your teeth can also stain due to factors beyond your control, such as aging or medication side effects.
Tooth discoloration can make you feel self-conscious about your smile’s appearance. But you can consult your dentist to find targeted dental solutions to brighten your teeth. Read on to learn about the ways your dentist can help you get the whiter smile of your dreams with professional treatment.
How Can My Dentist Brighten My Tooth Color?
Professional Bleaching Treatment
If you want to whiten your teeth, your dentist can provide deep bleaching treatment using KoR whitening materials. This will involve two to three in-office sessions followed by take-home treatment.
The professional whitening process begins with the dentist or assistant carefully applying a strong bleaching gel onto the teeth. The agents in this gel will thoroughly clean and remove stains while avoiding structural damage to the enamel that can cause tooth sensitivity.
Your gums, lips, and tongue will be protected from this gel, which could be irritating if not applied professionally. This expert supervision also ensures an even, careful application, giving you beautiful results that look natural on your unique smile.
The take-home part of this treatment uses a less potent bleaching gel in specialized custom-fitting trays. You wear these trays over your teeth to continue whitening your smile, in line with your aesthetic goals. It is important to use these trays as directed for optimal results.
Other Options to Whiten Your Smile
While all natural teeth will whiten with professional bleaching treatment, some discolorations are more difficult to whiten to the desired result. Also, existing fillings, crowns, and veneers will not whiten. Your dentist will advise you of this in your initial consultation. Your dentist can offer additional cosmetic dental solutions to address any remaining discoloration or restorations that did not whiten, giving you an even brighter, more uniform smile.
Dental Bonding
With bonding, your dentist uses tooth-colored resin sculpted directly onto your teeth to improve tooth color and shape. Bonding offers a less expensive alternative to porcelain crowns or veneers, but it does not last as long. As a resin, it is more prone to staining and discoloration and may need to be replaced every 3-10 years, depending on your diet and home care.
Porcelain Veneers or Crowns
If you want long-lasting smile enhancement, your dentist might suggest porcelain veneers or even crowns to create a more optimal smile in terms of color, shape, and overall appearance. Today, we have several “porcelains” that offer solutions for many situations, including discolored, chipped, fractured, or even slightly misaligned teeth.
These porcelain restorations are individually designed and custom-fit for each smile. They are more durable than bonding and can maintain their esthetic appearance for 15 years or longer in many cases with proper home care.