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Teeth Whitening
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One of the most common desires patients have is whiter teeth. When considering your options it is important to consult your dentist to make sure you have all the facts and understand how they may affect your teeth and mouth. Many people think the coloring of teeth is due to plaque or dirt. But a variety of factors can affect the color of your teeth including food, drink, tobacco, age, injury, and medications. Understanding what is causing the discoloration is important to properly whitening your teeth.
● Fluorosis (excessive fluoridation during tooth development).
● Stained teeth.
Teeth whitening products use bleaches (either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) to break stains into smaller pieces, which make them harder to see and make your teeth brighter. These bleaches do not work on all teeth, so it is important to consult your dentist before any treatment. Whitening will not be effective on caps, veneers, crowns, fillings or if the color is caused by medications or injury.
Options for teeth whitening usually include whitening toothpastes, at-home bleaching, and in-office bleaching. Of course effectiveness, safety, and results vary greatly between products, so consult with your dentist if you are considering these choices.
If the bleach in a whitening product gets through the enamel of your teeth, it can irritate the nerves and cause tooth sensitivity. This sensitivity is usually temporary, but overuse of whiteners can cause lasting damage. If you are experiencing prolonged side effects from teeth whitening, contact us right away.
If you have questions about Teeth Whitening or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us today at (916) 736-2801!
We recommend not consuming anything for the first 4 hours after teeth whitening and only drinking water. That is why it is best to brush your teeth in the evening, before going to sleep, whitening your teeth.
Since each patient recovers at his or her own unique rate, we suggest trying to avoid wine and coffee for two weeks, just to be safe. If this is particularly difficult, we advise patients to drink these beverages through a straw for two weeks, to minimize contact with the tooth enamel.
The best way to keep teeth white and to also maintain good oral health is to brush a minimum of twice a day and floss and use mouthwash daily. By practicing good oral hygiene, you can ensure enamel stays strong and stains on teeth do not develop.
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