If you have stained teeth, you may be tempted to try over-the-counter options, such as strips or whitening toothpaste. However, these could lead to tooth sensitivity and minor results at best. To enjoy a significantly brighter smile, you should contact your Des Moines, IA, dentist to talk about professional teeth whitening.
Why Do Teeth Stains Appear?
A number of different factors could lead to discoloration forming on our smile. For example, using tobacco products like cigarettes will stain the teeth, as will drinks with dark pigments and tannins like coffee, red wine, soda, and tea. Foods and snacks high in sugar and starch feed harmful oral bacteria to cause plaque buildup, which makes stains more visible. Poor oral hygiene, another factor in plaque buildup, is also a factor. Understanding the cause of your discoloration can help you take positive steps to maintain a bright and healthy smile.
Removing Them with Cosmetic Treatment
With professional teeth whitening, we start with an in-office visit. We take detailed impressions of your smile to create a set of trays that fit over the teeth. Next, we apply a bleaching gel to the teeth and activate it with a light. Following this initial treatment, we send you home with the trays and a bleaching gel. At home, you will fill the trays will gel and wear them for between 30 and 45 minutes each day. The total treatment time will depend on the severity of your discoloration, but is usually a week to ten days. For many, the results include a smile brightened by up to eight shades. The leftover gel and the trays are yours to keep for touch-ups down the road as discoloration re-appears.
Keeping Your Smile Bright
To help your results last a long time, and to also safeguard your smile against issues like tooth decay and gum disease, you should take time to brush twice a day for two minutes, using a fluoride toothpaste. This helps remove food particles to control plaque buildup. Then with a six-month cleaning, we remove the plaque and polish the teeth for a brighter appearance. At home, try to cut back on sugary foods and drinks, avoid tobacco products, and cut back on beverages with tannins and dark pigments. If you have any questions about our teeth whitening procedures, or about the steps necessary to preserve the health and beauty of your smile, then contact our team today.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT COSMETIC DENTISTRY?
Our team wants to help you enjoy brighter smiles with professional cosmetic treatment. To learn more about cosmetic dental care, then schedule a consultation with Dr. Burds by calling Gateway Dental Group in downtown Des Moines, IA, at (515) 244-9565.