Everything You Need to Know About Teeth Whitening
It’s no secret that one of the best ways to boost our self-confidence and assurance of ourselves is through our smile. What if we aren’t as proud of our smile as we could be? There are a plethora of options to get our smile right where we want it, with braces, corrective procedures, and cleanings. How about taking it a step further? Teeth whitening is one of the best options to change your teeth and your confidence radically. What is involved in teeth whitening? Are there multiple options to whiten my teeth? Are you a good candidate for teeth whitening? Read on to find out everything you need to know about this non-invasive and quick procedure.
How does teeth whitening/bleaching work?
Before we get to how it would work on your teeth, it is important to note that whitening procedures do not work on dental crowns or bonding. If you have neither of these, then your natural tooth can become discolored two different ways, extrinsically and intrinsically. Extrinsic stains are an easy fix. We even can correct some of these stains at home by using teeth whitening toothpaste on a daily basis that gets rid of day to day stains that affect our teeth from coffee, tea, soda or even wine. Intrinsic stains are a bit trickier as these stains are found below the enamel and are formed by years of staining, making them much harder to remove.
What are my teeth whitening options?
Before trying any of these methods, make sure to talk to your dentist before making a decision.
- Professional take-home trays – works for long-term whitening, decreased sensitivity and convenient.
- Whitening strips – can get your teeth a few shades white in a short period of time, cheap but painful in some instances.
- In-office bleaching – expensive, but is also the most effective and quickest results.
