A Dentist Can Whiten Your Smile Without The Hassle

It’s a fact of life that as we age, our teeth become less white, more dull and even discolored. When you include various foods we eat and vices such as tobacco into the equation, a person’s smile can often look nothing like it used to. That doesn’t mean it can’t, though.

A dentist is often thought of as the person you go to for all the practical needs related to your teeth and mouth. In reality this is very true, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Your dentist is absolutely the person who can best help you keep your teeth clean, address that cavity or cure that aching tooth. Over the course of your life, regular visits to dentists are a necessity if you hope to maintain proper oral health. But what if you have an issue that isn’t directly related to the health of your mouth, but rather to how it looks? Dentists may be able to help you with that, too.

Keeping your teeth shining and white is often a difficult task. Various foods and drinks can stain them over time, as can tobacco and other harmful things you may introduce to your mouth. It’s also true that the human tooth naturally loses its luster over time, as the minerals inside it along with the enamel structure around it can break down and lead to a darker, duller appearance.

So what can you do about all of this if you hope to maintain a shiny smile? Well, see your dentist for starters.

Many dentists nowadays include bleaching as a service they offer as part of their practice. One of the most effective methods of tooth whitening, bleaching can be performed by a dentist safely and effectively during a single office visit.

The American Dental Association says that any individual considering bleaching should have a routine checkup performed prior to undergoing the treatment to ensure that the affected areas of the mouth are stable and healthy enough to react favorably to bleach. From there, a dentistry professional will be able to effectively apply bleach treatment to achieve the best possible results.

Once it is time for the treatment, dentists will apply a protective film that is painted on the surface of the teeth to protect them from any harmful effects. A high-concentration gel will then be applied to the surface of the teeth, typically using application trays that sit in place for a certain period of time. This process can then be repeated multiple times to achieve the desired results, with the frequency depending on the severity of the discoloration and the patients’ desired results.

There are also other variations of this procedure that may be more appropriate for various individual cases, and they can be prescribed appropriately by your dentist. Because of this and other variables involved in the process, it is important to consult with your dentistry professional about your options and individual needs prior to deciding upon how to most effectively undertake the whitening process.