How to Whiten Teeth, at Home and in the Dental Office
The brightness and whiteness of your teeth give your smile an attractive and vibrant appearance.
So it’s not surprising that teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments.
And common sense (as well as science) tells us that a shining, healthy smile is among the best ways to make an excellent first impression and leave a lasting impression.
The American Academy of Periodontology reports that 50% of people state that a smile is the first thing they notice about someone else.
And studies demonstrate that attractive smiles are associated with greater success in professional life, social life, and love.
This explains why, at Cardiff Dental, the most common cosmetic procedure we answer questions about is teeth whitening.
And we have two sets of answers – what you can do to protect the current shade of your teeth, and what we can do to whiten your teeth if they’ve become discoloured or stained.
Let’s take a look at both questions, beginning with what you can do to defend the bright shade of your teeth!
Managing the brightness of your teeth
Causes of discolouration
Discolouration and stains come in two kinds:
- Intrinsic (or internal) staining, which can result from trauma, excessive fluoride exposure while teeth are developing, or some types of medication.
- Extrinsic (or external) staining, which can result from poor oral hygiene, smoking, and heavy consumption of tea/coffee/red wine or staining foods.
But protecting against these is not difficult
Food and drink
To fight staining:
- Eat healthy foods to protect the enamel and prevent bacteria from forming and spreading throughout the mouth.
- Wash your mouth with water after consuming foods that stain.
- Chew sugar-free gum to stimulate the production of saliva.
- Use stain-fighting toothpaste while being careful of their tendency to abrade the teeth.
- Brush twice and floss once daily.
- Have your teeth cleaned regularly at Cardiff Dental. We try to see patients every six months to eliminate bacteria, plaque, calculus, hardened tartar, and superficial stains.
Age
Age naturally contributes to discolouration – as our enamel thins our yellow dentin begins to show through, and our yellower tooth roots are often exposed.
This process cannot be halted, but it can be managed.
- Use a very soft toothbrush and don’t brush too aggressively – this can wear the enamel off teeth.
Trauma
To manage:
- If you have a choice of medications, choose those that do not stain teeth.
- Monitor the fluoride intake of children with developing teeth.
- Use a mouthguard or protective splint while playing sports or sleeping.
Whitening Solutions in Cardiff
What about DIY or Over-the-Counter whitening?
These whiteners are inefficient and can be dangerous.
They contain high levels of bleaching chemicals, fewer built-in safety features, and don’t have a dentist supervising to ensure that all goes well.
DIY and OTC solutions can cause enamel wear, revealing the yellow dentin beneath. They can also harm health, burn gums, and damage the oesophagus or stomach.
When it comes to whitening your teeth, trust your dentist Cardiff !
In-chair whitening is slightly more expensive when compared to at- home whitening, but it is safer as it is performed by a dental professional.
It is also almost instantaneous. During in-office whitening, a specially trained dental professional applies bleaching gel using safety measures including protective goggles, gels, and a lip retractor to minimise exposure between the bleaching gel and your gums and soft tissues.
With in-chair whitening, you visit our office; sit down in our comfortable dental chair for a professional treatment with whitening gel and special light, and less than 2 hours later you leave our office with a smile that is up to 8 shades brighter!
At-home whitening takes longer but places most of the control of the treatment in the hands of the patient.
Custom-designed trays hold the whitening gel, and you place them over your teeth once a day, as instructed.
This allows more control of the whitening process, how long it takes, how white your teeth become, and who and what is in your mouth.
This is an excellent choice for patients who don’t like the dental chair.
Porcelain Veneers
Veneers are great in cases of intrinsic stains, stains that can’t be removed, or for teeth with cosmetic problems in addition to the need for bleaching.
These wafer-thin shells are placed over the faces of your teeth and give you a stunning, white, regular smile.
Teeth whitening at Cardiff Dental
Porcelain Veneers at Cardiff Dental
Cardiff Dental is:
- A comprehensive cosmetic, implant, and family dentist
- A local family-owned and family-operated dental practice
- You get the option of seeing the same dentist every time
- Available to treat painful conditions on the same day
- One of the very few dental practices that are accredited by QIP (Quality Innovative Performance) for meeting the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards
Call us on (02) 4954 6888 or request your appointment online. For more information, go to our contact us page.
We look forward to seeing you soon.