Tooth whitening procedures and advantages

The fastest way to improve your look and have a brighter smile is to use teeth whitening solutions. Your smile has a lot of potential. It creates an immediate visual impact on the people you meet. A white and bright smile offers the impression of youth, health, happiness, vitality and warmth. You can improve your smile with the help of your dentist, or you can get over-the-counter whitening kits.

Value your smile

Researchers determined that our smiles are vital in social interactions. Many surveys were done to establish the importance of a smile in society. As a result 99, 7% of the adults believe the smile a crucial asset and 96% believe that a bright smile makes a person more appealing to the members of the opposite sex. They also believe that an unattractive smile may hurt that person’s career and personal life.

The easiest thing to do to improve your smile is to whiten it. If you are not satisfied with your smile, you can try tooth whitening as a first step.

Discoloration of the teeth

A person’s baby teeth are whiter than the permanent ones. With age, adult teeth become darker, browner or yellower. This is one of the reasons why people with a white smile look a lot younger than a person with a lot of teeth stains.

There are some reasons why your teeth lose their pearly color. The leading causes of discolored teeth are genetics, certain foods and beverages (coffee, wine, tobacco use) and certain medication (antibiotics).  Teenagers sometimes also experience a discoloration of their teeth because of the internal discoloration caused by changes in the enamel and dentin.

You have various ways of whitening your teeth, but the safest and most commonly used are the in-office treatments and the over-the-counter whitening kits.

In-office whitening treatments

Your dentist is the only one who can safely whiten your smile. In addition to this, the procedure is a lot faster because it involves stronger whitening agents. Your dentist will firstly check if you can undergo the whitening procedure, then you will receive protection for the gums and the rest of the mouth. Furthermore, some whitening systems have a buffer in the gel that will protect your teeth (especially the enamel) from damage. At a dentist’s office, you can brighten your smile in just a single office visit.

Sometimes, patients encounter tooth sensitivity after the whitening procedure. Your dentist can handle this issue, and they can offer you ways of resolving this condition. The sensitivity should not last more than a week. If it does, talk to your dentist because it could indicate a tooth/gum problem.

Home tooth whitening

You have a lot of options of whitening your teeth at home. Many home whitening kits exist today, and you can purchase them virtually everywhere. But you have to be careful that they have the ADA seal of approval. Some whitening kits were not tested properly and could contain more whitening agents than they should. By using a whitening kit that is too strong could make your teeth semi-transparent and cause a lot of problems. That is why the dentist-supervised whitening method remains the safest and most effective way of improving your smile’s color.

Ask your dentist if you can undergo a tooth whitening treatment and what whitening products they recommend for you.