Many of us are discontent with the color of our smiles. We all want bright white teeth, but this is easier said than done. Myriad environmental factors can stain our smiles, and most commercial products, like toothpaste, whitening strips, and rinses, provide lackluster results. Cosmetic treatments, like professional teeth whitening, provide results that will leave you feeling confident and happy with your smile. In today’s blog, your Newport Beach, CA, dentist discusses the causes of stains, and how our professional treatment can help treat them.
What Causes Stains?
Tooth discoloration, or stains, can be caused by myriad factors. These can be broken down into three categories: age-related, extrinsic, and intrinsic. Age-related stains are usually caused by your teeth’ enamel wearing away as you get older. Over time, this causes your teeth to become yellow, which is a natural part of aging.
Intrinsic and extrinsic influences factor in as well. Extrinsic stains are ones that are caused by external factors like certain foods, drinks, and tobacco. These are on the surface of your teeth and affect the enamel. Intrinsic stains are the hardest to get rid of because they are located within your teeth, beneath the enamel. They are frequently caused by trauma to the tooth, tooth decay, an excess of fluoride, and even certain medications, as well.
Professional In-Office Treatment
When you visit us for a whitening treatment, you will usually see results after coming in just once. Your dentist or dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth to see if our process is right for your unique needs. If it is, we will use our in-office teeth-whitening system. This consists of your oral health care professional applying a strong, yet exceedingly safe bleaching gel solution to your teeth. We then activate it using a special light, and it begins to break up your stains. After around an hour, your smile will be noticeably brighter. While this procedure is simple and quick, if you usually become anxious at the dentist, we can provide sedation to help ensure you’re calm the whole time.
Other Cosmetic Options
While the aforementioned process shows great results for most patients, professional teeth whitening cannot always remove every stain. Intrinsic stains, for instance, will sometimes remain present. As mentioned above, these are deeper and whitening processes can’t typically reach them. If you do have this deeper discoloration, other cosmetic options like porcelain veneers are available, and they can help as well.
Contact Us To Learn More About Teeth Whitening
If you suffer from stubborn stains that simply won’t dissipate with over-the-counter products, do not hesitate to reach out to us to learn about professional treatment. To ask any questions or to schedule an appointment, please call Balboa Dental Surgery in Newport Beach, CA, today at 949-630-0143. We look forward to hearing from you.
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