How to Achieve a Healthy and Bright Smile with Teeth Whitening
Dental discoloration can happen to anyone at any point in life. It occurs when the enamels of your teeth catch stains that do not wash off simply by brushing your teeth. When the stains develop on your teeth, you do not usually notice them. It is often a gradual process that gets worse as the stains build up on the surface of the teeth. Eventually, the stains will transfer to the other layers of teeth, making them that much harder to remove.
The Reason Behind Diminished Whiteness
The diminished whiteness of your teeth can be attributed to various factors. Some of them include:
- Food stains – are among the most common causes of dental discoloration. The stakes are higher for people who like heavily pigmented foods like coffee, red wine, and tea.
- Medicine – although prescribed to aid your health, medications can alter the color of your teeth. It occurs severally among young children with chronic illnesses who undergo treatment for a long time while relying heavily on prescribed medications.
- Poor dental hygiene – forgetting to brush your teeth for one day may not significantly impact the whiteness of your teeth. However, neglecting teeth brushing for a long time will result in plaque and tartar eventually building up on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky substance formed from the mixture of saliva, food residues, and bacteria in your mouth. If the sticky substance remains on the surfaces of your teeth for a prolonged period, it forms tartar. Unfortunately, tartar can only be removed by a dentist. Both plaque and tartar are dull, which dulls the color of your teeth.
- Enamel thinning – features the wearing out of your teeth’ enamels. It is mostly a consequence of aging. The more you use your mouth, the more the enamel wears off. It may cause thinning, which introduces dental problems like teeth sensitivity and yellowing of teeth. The yellowing appears due to the exposure of the dentin, an inner layer of your teeth, which is typically duller in color than teeth enamel.
- Tobacco usage – smoking or other ways of consuming tobacco gradually stains your teeth.
How Does Teeth Whitening Treatment Whiten Your Teeth?
If you have the chance to meet up with a teeth whitening dentist near you to transform your smile, do not hesitate to do so. Professional teeth whitening procedures are incredibly useful for improving the appearance of your smile. At Thumbs Up Dental, we recommend patients get their teeth professionally cleaned as it is a more effective and safe approach than any alternative method.
The whitening process for teeth works by breaking down stains into small particles that get dissolved. Usually, your dentist in North Branch will use special whitening products that contain bleaching agents. The common type of bleacher is hydrogen peroxide, which permeates the surfaces of your teeth. The very volatile oxygen molecules present in the hydrogen peroxide then penetrate the layers of teeth, breaking down stain molecules. The stains break down as they disappear from the surfaces of your teeth.
Does It Help Your Smile Appearance?
Most dental stains are removable through professional teeth whitening treatments. The process is quick, effective, and painless, allowing you to flaunt a beautiful smile soon after your treatment. The best part is that your smile changes immediately. It means that, by the time you leave the dentist’s chair, your teeth are whiter and brighter than before. The even better news is that your dentist can whiten your teeth up to 4 shades higher than the initial color of your teeth. Some benefits of having the right smile are:
- Improved self-confidence – you no longer have to hide your smile from the world.
- Improved dental hygiene – teeth whitening procedures often begin with dental cleanings, particularly for patients who had poor oral hygiene habits before their teeth whitening treatment session.
- Increased morale for proper dental care – whiter teeth will feel like a new set of teeth, which will motivate you to want to care for them much better than ever before.