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Whiten those Dingy Teeth |
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From toothpastes to paint-on whiteners to whitening kits with plastic trays, the options are endless. But do they work? |
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| Author: Sara Goldstein |
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But do they work? Most over-the-counter whitening products work to some extent, but for truly high-quality results, a cosmetic dentist is the best option. A dentist has much more powerful whitening options at his disposal, to provide you with the best possible results in tooth whitening .
Why Do Teeth Stain?
How do your teeth become discolored in the first place? Several factors can contribute to staining and discoloration in teeth. Among these are—
• Age. Our teeth naturally change color as we get older, due to general wear and tear and staining that accumulates over time. Tooth whitening shows faster effects on younger people, but can also produce dramatic results if you’re older—it just might take a little longer.
• Original color. Some people’s teeth are naturally darker to begin with, as tooth color varies from person to person.
• Eating and drinking habits. Certain foods and beverages with a naturally dark color, such as tea, coffee, red wine, and carrots, can stain the teeth considerably. In addition, highly acidic foods such as citrus fruit can erode the tooth enamel.
• Smoking. Nicotine can cause extensive staining that soaks into the surface of the tooth.
• Certain drugs or chemicals. Tetracycline is known to cause extensive discoloration to the teeth if it’s taken during tooth formation. Excessive ingestion of fluoride during the teeth’s initial formation also causes discoloration. Both of these kinds of staining are extremely difficult to correct.
• Grinding. Grinding your teeth, also known as bruxing, can cause damage to the edges of the teeth which result in discoloration.
• Trauma or injury. If your teeth have been cracked or chipped in an accident, stains can collect in these cracks and cause discoloration.
Why Aren’t Home Treatments Good Enough?
The whitening agents used in home treatments simply aren’t strong enough to achieve the results of a professional whitening treatment. Whitening techniques used in an office setting work much more quickly and thoroughly, giving you a bright, dazzling smile in as little as one visit.
The fastest-working whitening agents are applied directly to your teeth in the dentist’s office. Your gums are protected with a special gel that is painted onto them so they won’t be affected by the whitener. The whitening agent, usually a high-concentrate peroxide solution, is then applied to the teeth and left for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time. The total time of these short sessions usually adds up to about an hour. Letting the agent sit on the teeth allows it to penetrate the enamel, causing more extensive and more effective whitening.
If the stains are your teeth are particularly stubborn, you might have to come back for another treatment, or your dentist might give you a take-home treatment consisting of a less concentrated whitening solution and plastic trays. This longer-term treatment can be very effective on more tenacious staining.
One popular in-office whitening treatment is the Zoom!® teeth whitening system. This powerful treatment can drastically alter the shade of your teeth in only an hour. Depending on the condition of your teeth, they can be lightened as much as six shades in a single visit.
Much like other whitening agents, the Zoom! whitening agent is painted onto the teeth. After it’s applied, a special light is used on the treated teeth. After twenty minutes of exposure to the light, the whitening agent is removed and a fresh coating applied. The process is repeated two more times, for dramatic results.
About Author
Many cosmetic dentists have brought the Zoom! teeth whitening system into their practices, including Northern Virginia cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Chung, DDS. If you’re in the Northern Virginia area and would like more information about tooth whitening in general or the Zoom! teeth whitening system in particular, please visit the website of Softouch Dental Care .
Article Source:
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