Can a Professional Teeth Whitening Help My Smile?
Have you ever considered getting your teeth whitened?
A professional teeth whitening involves using a whitening agent to remove stains and brighten your smile. Typically, these appointments only take about an hour to complete at your local Asheville dental practice and can leave you with dazzling white teeth.
Many patients want whiter teeth but aren’t sure if a professional whitening is for them. Over-the-counter whitening products can take weeks to show any effect and overusing these products can not only be harmful to your teeth, but may not deliver the results you want.
With a teeth whitening from your dentist in Asheville, you can get dramatic results in just one appointment. While teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure, it can provide many benefits for your smile and last for years when properly taken care of.
How can you know if a professional whitening can help your smile? Here we look at common issues people have when seeking a brighter smile and if this procedure can help.
Teeth Discoloration and Staining
Teeth discoloration and staining can happen from a variety of causes, including from the foods and drinks we consume. However, discoloration can also happen as the result of taking the antibiotic tetracycline at a young age, smoking, or if the nerve inside your tooth has died due to injury or decay.
When a Professional Teeth Whitening Helps
If your teeth staining is due to smoking, foods, or drinks, a professional cleaning in addition to a whitening procedure can help lift both surface stains and deeper stains out of the enamel to give you a brighter smile.
When Whitening May Not Solve the Problem
Whitening may not help if your tooth is discolored due to a dead nerve, in which case, root canal therapy would be your only option to restore the color of the tooth.
In addition, if the staining is very deep, such as from years of smoking or regular coffee drinking, you may need follow-up cleanings or whitening treatments to achieve the results you’re looking for.
White Spots on Your Teeth: Dental Fluorosis
Dental fluorosis is a condition in which a child is exposed to too much fluoride before their adult teeth fully erupt through the gumline. This issue prevents the tooth enamel from getting all the nutrients it needs to form properly, and as a result, chalky white spots are present on the teeth.
When a Professional Whitening Helps
Fortunately, for patients with mild to moderate dental fluorosis, a professional whitening can reduce the appearance of the white areas on the teeth. You’ll need to schedule a visit with your dentist to determine if teeth whitening will be beneficial for your dental fluorosis.
When Whitening May Not Solve the Problem
If your dental fluorosis is severe or widespread in its appearance, you may need to consider other treatment options such as enamel microabrasion, in which a tiny amount of tooth enamel is removed to alleviate staining and white spots that can come with dental fluorosis. Ask your dentist what treatment will benefit you the most!
Dental Restorations Such as Crowns, Dentures, and Bridges
Getting your smile restored with a restoration such as dental crowns, dentures, or brides can help improve the function and appearance of your teeth.
When a Professional Whitening Helps
The best time to get a professional whitening is before you get any type of restoration dentistry. If you’re considering dental implants, bridges, or crowns and have been thinking about a whiter smile, ask your dentist about a professional whitening beforehand.
You can still get teeth whitening at your dentist office with your dental restorations, however, the restorations won’t be affected by the whitening agent and so will remain their original color, which could prevent your smile from appearing uniform.
When Whitening May Not Solve the Problem
If your dental restoration is discolored, your dentist may be able to remove some of the stains during your professional cleaning; however, you may also need to get the restoration replaced in an effort to improve your smile’s color.
Fortunately, with at-home care and regular dentist visits, you can prevent the staining that can come with some of these common dental restorations such as dentures to have a brighter smile.
Cosmetic Issues such as Crooked or Misaligned Teeth
Crooked or misaligned teeth aren’t always obvious in a smile, but for some patients, they may be concerned about the appearance of their teeth and aren’t sure if a cosmetic procedure such as a professional teeth whitening will help.
When a Professional Whitening Helps
While a teeth whitening won’t change your actual tooth structure and alignment, it can benefit patients who may have trouble properly cleaning their teeth to get a really white smile and may even help reduce the appearance of uneven color as the result of crooked teeth in some patients.
When Whitening May Not Solve the Problem
If your teeth are severely misaligned or crooked, you may want to consider orthodontic treatment before a professional whitening procedure. However, if you have an event coming up, you might not want to wait for whiter teeth!
Teeth with Tooth Decay or Gum Disease
People who have active tooth decay or gum disease will need to receive treatment before getting a professional whitening.
When a Professional Whitening Helps
A professional whitening can help patients who have experienced tooth decay and gum disease after they’ve received treatment with their professional Asheville dentist.
When Whitening May Not Solve the Problem
If you have discoloration to your teeth due to active tooth decay or gum disease, this is a great opportunity to address issues with your smile so you can get whiter teeth. Afterward, your new shade of white won’t just be beautiful, but healthy too!
Contact Us at Saunders DDS!
No matter the results you’re looking to achieve with a brighter smile, your dentist in Asheville, Dr. Saunders, can help you create the smile of your dreams.
Have you been unhappy with the appearance of your smile but aren’t sure if teeth whitening will help? Schedule an appointment with us at Saunders DDS to discover how much whiter your smile could be with the right treatment!