Teeth whitening is crucial for a bright smile, as your teeth can become discolored over time from several factors.
If you have discolored teeth, our experts at Lanier Valley Dentistry can help restore your bright smile through professional teeth whitening. It is an efficient cosmetic dentistry procedure that leaves your smile as beautiful as ever.
Tooth Discoloration: How Does it Occur?
Different categories of teeth discoloration affect your oral health as well as the look of your teeth. Understanding how each of these discolorations works goes a long way in helping you prevent them and promote your dental health and looks.
Extrinsic Stains
The first type is known as extrinsic discoloration. It happens in the outermost layer of the teeth. Also referred to as the tooth enamel, the outer layer provides the first line of defense for a tooth. It protects a tooth from pigmented drinks, food, and daily habits that cause tooth stains such as lack of oral hygiene and smoking.
Over time, due to continual wearing and erosion of the enamel, your teeth may discolor. The discoloration may occur just on the surface of the enamel and does not reach the inner parts such as the dentin. Professional whitening and at-home whitening kits can help with extrinsic discoloration.
Intrinsic Stains
Another type is intrinsic discoloration, which attacks the inner layer of a tooth. Excessive exposure to fluoride and certain antibiotics during childhood can cause staining in the inner layer. In addition, this layer of tooth can also stain from drinks, foods, and daily habits, especially if the enamel has been damaged. Unfortunately, in-office whitening, take-home whitening, and DIY whitening techniques cannot successfully whiten teeth that have experienced intrinsic discoloration. Dentists may recommend other forms of treatment such as crowns and veneers to mask the stains.
Age
Lastly, there is age-related discoloration which occurs as a result of normal wear and tear associated with natural aging. This kind of discoloration can be hastened by poor oral hygiene or even a bad diet.
Professional teeth whitening
Professional teeth whitening is a process that typically involves several steps, conducted by a dentist or a skilled dental professional.
Your journey towards a brighter smile starts with a consultation. This appointment is held to discuss your oral health history, examine your teeth and gums, and talk about your teeth-whitening goals. The dentist will use this session to confirm whether professional teeth whitening is appropriate for you and help you understand what results to expect.
Process
Prep work is the key to a successful teeth-whitening procedure. First, your teeth will be cleaned thoroughly. Plaque, tartar, and surface stains are removed, thus ensuring that the whitening solution can act evenly across all tooth surfaces.
The application process of the bleaching agent will then begin. Special attention is paid to ensure that your gums are protected before the application, generally using a gel or a rubber shield.After this is done, a high-concentration bleaching agent - typically hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide - is applied to your teeth. The next step is to use a special light or laser to accelerate and enhance the whitening effect.
After the whitening session, our dentist will rinse your mouth and remove the protective barrier from your gums. They will then check the results and compare the shade of your teeth to the desired level of whiteness discussed during your initial consultation. Steps can be repeated as needed, or sometimes the dentist will send you with in-home whitening you can use to supplement the whitening process.
Teeth Whitening in Dacula GA
At Lanier Valley Dentistry we can help you achieve a brighter and whiter smile at our teeth whitening clinic in Dacula. Contact us at (678) 802-8654 to book an appointment for this popular cosmetic dentistry service.
