Those of you who’re thinking about asking a Utah dentist to whiten your teeth might have a few questions about the process. I will try to answer them. You might want to know how long the whitening effect will last. That could depend somewhat on what you drink and eat after your whitening because some dental discoloration is from cola, tea, coffee, tobacco, wine, berries, tartar deposits, and such. This kind of discoloration is called extrinsic because its source is external to the teeth, coming from food and beverage stains. If you avoid these, brush twice daily, floss every day, and get regular dental cleanings, then your whitening could last as long as three years.
Intrinsic discoloration of teeth comes from darkening dentin inside the tooth. This can happen because of early childhood tetracycline antibiotic use, too much fluoride, illnesses, or injuries. Bleaching can successfully lighten most discolorations, but tetracycline-induced ones are more difficult. Dental discolorations from aging are possibly both intrinsic and extrinsic in nature. As we age we have staining from beverages and foods, but our enamel also thins, letting the darkening dentin show through.
Cosmetic dentists are able to help most people achieve brighter and whiter teeth through bleaching. There are really three different kinds of bleaching procedures. The foremost type is often referred to as “chair-side bleaching,” meaning that it’s accomplished in the dentist’s chair with between two and ten 30 to 60 minute sessions. The dentist protects the patient’s gums with a gel substance coating and the necks of the teeth with a rubber shield. The chemical bleaching agent is actually “painted” on the teeth. Some types of bleaches are activated by light and they are faster, but they’re also somewhat more expensive.
The next most effective type of bleaching procedure is often called “In-home bleaching” since the dentist makes some custom-fitted trays for the patient’s teeth and sends them, the bleaching gel, and instructions home with the patient. Some dentists give such in-home tray-type bleaching kits (with a limited amount of the bleaching gel) as incentives to new patients. The final type of teeth-whitening systems is the over-the-counter “whitening strips.” These don’t come with trays. They have little bleaching tooth-sized strips that stick onto each tooth. The main drawback to these is that they don’t cover each full tooth totally. The places where the teeth meet are missed. These drug-store bleaching systems may not be especially effective or safe (unless they show the ADA Seal of Acceptance) and they aren’t supervised by a dentist after a proper exam and diagnosis. One dental situation that would provoke a dentist’s recommendation against whitening would be gum recession problems. If such a patient self-treated with whitening strips, this would not be good.
You can call your Sandy dentist or your Midvale dentist to see which whitening procedure is recommended for you. Creek Road Dental is happy and ready to whiten and improve your smile.
Looking to find the best cosmetic dentists in Utah, then visit www.creekroaddental.com to find the best Cottonwood Height dentist for you.
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