Annual Oral Health Section
Brighter, whiter teeth can be one of the best ways to boost your confidence about your smile.
Why Do Teeth Get Discolored?
There are several different reasons that your pearly whites might end up stained or discolored. Both internal and external causes can lead to a change in color in your smile. For example, if you regularly consume beverages
such as coffee, tea, soda, red wine, juice, or sports drinks, or eat colorful produce like berries or beets, this can lead to persisting stains on the teeth. If you smoke regularly or chew tobacco, nicotine can also stain and darken your smile.
There are also several internal factors that can lead to discolored teeth. This can include a serious injury to the mouth, where bleeding inside a tooth can darken its color, or excess ingestion of fluoride as a child. There are also some medications that can change the color of your teeth, such as certain antibiotics or types of chemotherapy.
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
If you’re looking for a whiter smile, there are a few different options. While some opt for in-office bleaching, take-home care can be a great choice as well. To use take-home whitening treatments, a dentist will take an impression of your teeth at your appointment in order to create a custom-fitted mouth tray. Once you have your custom tray, all you need to do is fill them with the professional-grade bleaching gel provided by your dentist, put the tray in place over your teeth, and wear them for the length of time your dentist recommends. Most patients will use the trays from one to four weeks in order to achieve the results they’re looking for.
What Are the Benefits of Take-Home Whitening?
Whitening your teeth can be an excellent confidence booster for someone who is self-conscious of their smile and worries about the way their teeth appear in photos or when meeting new people. The added benefit of being able to whiten your teeth at home is the convenience – you can do it on your own time whenever it best suits your daily schedule and routines. Furthermore, if you notice that further down the road, your teeth are looking a little dull, you can easily touch up your smile at home with this take-home whitening method.
