If you feel like your smile isn’t as picture-perfect as you would like it to be there are several options to enhance the whiteness of your teeth. Brushing and flossing daily are the easiest ways, and routine cleanings and check-ups are also important. But to keep one’s smile white you must be careful of what you eat and drink. And if all that brushing and flossing can’t eliminate all those stubborn stains and yellowing on your teeth, then whitening is a definite route to a great smile.
Personal Care Dentistry offers an effective and affordable whitening program that includes custom-made and fitted bleach trays and clinical strength gel bleach that you cannot get over the counter.
Whitening programs available from your dentist are superior to the over-the-counter ones available in many retail stores. While the over-the-counter kits may be cheaper, they are not as effective and can also be harmful to your gum line (from the bleach), aggravate existing dental problems (again from the bleach), produce spotted or weak results and damage your tooth enamel.
So once you decide to have your teeth whitened at a dental office, what happens? During the first visit, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth after making sure your teeth are free of plaque and tarter. From this impression a custom mouth tray is made specifically for your mouth to fit like a glove. This ensures that each surface of the tooth gets bleached properly. On your second visit your dentist will show you how to apply the gel to the bleaching trays and place it into your mouth.
The amount of time you must wear your bleaching trays depends on how badly your teeth are stained, as well as the concentration of the bleaching gel used. You will also need to decide if you want to use both trays – one for your top teeth, the other one for your bottom set of teeth to whiten your smile. This process can vary from a few minutes to a few hours. It is recommended that you whiten two weeks for 30 minutes a day for optimal results. Tooth sensitivity may occur but Personal Care Dentistry provides patients with alternative bleach for those with sensitivity issues.
The whitening program offered by Personal Care Dentistry can last anywhere from a few months to a few years and the degree of whitening changes from one person to another. This in part depends on the original condition of your teeth, specifically how stained they were, as well as the strength of the bleaching gel used. Also, in large part it depends on your eating, drinking and smoking habits, as no teeth whitening solution will result in a permanent color change of your teeth and it won’t prevent future staining.
Contact Personal Care Dentistry today and ask how you can get started. Whitening your smile can take years off your teeth and make you look and feel younger. Bleaching your teeth is an easy and affordable way to boost your confidence and start smiling again!
In the meantime follow these simple steps to avoid stains:
Use a whitening toothpaste
Brush and floss daily
Avoid drinking coffee, red wine, tea and sports drinks
Avoid eating berries, sweets and deep colored sauces
Don’t smoke
Use a straw with cold beverages
Swallow promptly when consuming stain-causing foods and beverages
If you do consume food and drink that may stain your teeth, keep a glass of plain water handy and take a drink between sips or bites of the stain-producing food or beverage you are consuming