Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you and the best tool you have for welcoming them into your life. A sunny smile is so important that teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic procedure performed by Modern Age Dentistry.
The brightness of your smile is related to the whitening process you choose. Though there’s a role for touch-ups at home, there are at least 10 compelling reasons to have your whitening done by an experienced professional like me and the team at Modern Age Dentistry.
Whiter teeth immediately enhance your appearance and change how others interact with you. Studies show that whiter teeth are associated with attractiveness and that people with whiter teeth are perceived to be more sociable, friendly, and intelligent. Professional teeth whitening is the best, if not the only, way to achieve maximum teeth whitening.
The majority of people who get teeth whitening say they do it to boost their self-confidence and to gain the self-esteem that comes from having a great smile. There’s no doubt that tooth color is a key factor in the way you relate to people. With the degree of whitening achieved with professional treatment, you convey a better first impression when you meet someone for the first time, whether in a job interview or on a date.
Teeth turn darker over time, due to cumulative stains and natural changes as pulp in the center of your teeth darkens. Colored pigments in coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco products are the top causes of gradual teeth staining. Acidic foods and drinks, such as carbonated beverages, also make it easier for pigments to seep into your teeth as they erode the enamel.
The results of professional in-office whitening are significantly better than the degree of whitening you can achieve at home with over-the-counter products. The whitening agent I use is more concentrated than commercial whitening agents. As a result, it lightens your teeth by about eight shades in one hour. By comparison, home treatments require consistent daily application for several weeks or months just to lighten your teeth by one to two shades.
Many of my patients like to come in for teeth whitening before a special occasion, especially when they want to be sure of results. Whether you’re about to walk down the aisle for your wedding, revisit old friends at your class reunion, or pose for a family photograph – you’ll want your smile to sparkle.
After a year or two in braces, the day finally arrives: You get your braces debanded and see your new smile for the first time – only to discover a noticeable difference in color where braces interfered with teeth cleaning. Nothing lifts your spirits more than whitening your teeth to put the finishing touch on your new smile.
When you come in for professional teeth whitening, you gain the benefit of a dental exam, which is the only way to be sure that whitening is safe – and the best procedure – for your teeth. When isn’t whitening safe? That happens when you have dental issues like a small crack or cavities that give the whitening gel easy access to the delicate nerves inside your teeth.
I can also let you know if whitening is the best choice for your teeth. Whitening doesn’t work for all teeth. You could spend money to whiten at home, then end up with natural teeth that are a different color from dental work like porcelain crowns and composite fillings.
The whitening strips and trays in your local store are one-size-fits-all, which means they can’t possibly fit everyone because each person’s mouth and teeth are different. As a result, some of the active ingredients will come into contact with tissues inside your mouth, causing irritation.
When you come in for teeth whitening, I protect your gums, cheeks, and tongue from damage caused by the active whitening ingredient. I carefully apply a buffer gel to your gums and use dental tools such as a bite block and cheek retractor to ensure your lips, and the soft tissues inside your mouth don’t come into contact with hydrogen peroxide.
Using commercial teeth whitening products seems simple enough, but if you don’t have the same amount of the whitening agent in close contact with every tooth for the same amount of time, you can end up with uneven whitening. I begin by matching your existing shade to the shade you want to achieve. Then I carefully apply whitening gel to each individual tooth and customize the degree of whitening to meet your desired results.
Teeth whitening may cause temporary sensitivity because the active ingredient enters the enamel to break down discolorations. The professional whitening product I use contains ingredients that are good for your teeth and relieve sensitivity. Additionally, I can apply a gel after whitening to relieve sensitivity.
