Teeth Whitening Services
Professional Teeth Whitening in Rockledge, FL.
Teeth whitening has become a popular service recently, and not solely because it’s hard to look at a movie star’s smile and not compare it to our own. Simply holding a piece of white paper up to our teeth can make us realize just how many shades we have to go before we start to reach the color we’re looking for.
There are a number of solutions on the market today if you’re looking for teeth whitening in Rockledge, FL. If you’re considering professional services, it helps to understand what’s available and how you can leverage these options to get the grin you’re looking for.
How Teeth Change Over Time
Even the most diligent people will experience some degree of yellowing over time, no matter what type of oral hygiene routine they adopt. The steadfast avoidance of red wine or smoking will unfortunately cannot stop the aging process, which will eventually start to turn your teeth from white to off-white to yellow. (Plus, there are certain types of foods, like blueberries, that really shouldn’t be avoided for the sake of your smile.)
The problem is that this happens so slowly over time that plenty of people won’t even notice. In fact, it may take an old photo for them to have any idea. Any kind of colored food or drink can cause people’s teeth to change, whether the color is natural, like the yellows of turmeric, or artificial, like the numbered dyes of your favorite candies.
Types of Teeth Staining
Stains will usually accumulate over time, though it’s important for people to know that this isn’t always the case. If you have what’s known as internal staining, then the staining can come along rather suddenly. Most patients will know what’s happening if they have internal staining. For instance, if a person sustains trauma to their mouth and then notices that a tooth has suddenly gone from white to brown, they can reasonably assume that the tooth has been damaged.
However, not all internal stains are as obvious as others. If you do happen to see a tooth that’s turned a strange color seemingly overnight, it may be necessary to seek emergency dental care. From infection to decay, internal staining can often be treated in one or two dental visits. When it comes to external staining, though, these stains are usually the result of years of general wear and tear. If you choose professional teeth whitening in Rockledge, FL, you’ll spend less time and effort getting a whiter smile than if you chose the drugstore solutions.
How the Process Works
The first step of the process will always be the assessment. The dentist will determine the type of staining that you have. For most people, this will be external as opposed to internal staining, but it’s important for the dentist to confirm. From there, the dentist will lean on their experience to tell you more about how long it will take to remove the stains. Heavy smokers or devoted coffee drinkers may need an extra session or two to get their teeth where they want them.
If you’re looking for cosmetic dentistry in Rockledge, FL that offers a range of potential options for whitening, Signature Smile Family Dentistry can help. We have the tools, agents, and tactics that can help you get off multiple layers of staining. We start with our own cleaning, which can potentially remove a layer of staining before we even get started. (All plaque will need to be removed from the surface of the tooth before whitening.) The dentist will ensure that your teeth are thoroughly polished, so you can be certain there are no barriers between the tooth and the next steps of the process.
From there, the dentist will embark on the rest of the whitening process. At Signature Smile Family Dentistry, we can tell you more about how your customized treatment plan will progress, including whether you can expect to come in for multiple visits. For patients who just want their teeth whitened a shade or two, the work might be relatively straightforward. For patients who want to see a dramatic difference, they may need to be put in a little more time in the chair.
Over-the-Counter Whiteners Vs. Professional Treatment
You can buy plenty of products, whether it’s online or at a drugstore, that promise to whiten your teeth. These agents are usually pastes or gels, and they are typically safe to use as directed. The only caveat is that there are certain types of whiteners that can be harmful to dental work, depending on where you buy them from and how they’re used.
Most sources will tell you that there is no problem using teeth whiteners on these restorations, but there have been studies that showed the surface of a crown or filling might become softer after the treatments, even if the whitener doesn’t erode the material. If you don’t want to end up suffering the long-term consequences, a reputable dentist can tell you more about how to keep all of your teeth as healthy as possible during the process.
In addition to potential damage, these options are often messy, and they’re definitely not as effective as professional whitening. The results between OTC and professional teeth whitening in Rockledge really don’t compare. In some cases, the team at Signature Smile Family Dentistry may be able to get your teeth up to eight times whiter than if you choose a less powerful agent.
Cosmetic Dentistry in Rockledge
It would be easy to dismiss teeth whitening as purely for show, but there’s far more to the story than this. When people take the time to get their teeth whitened, they often begin taking a much more active interest in caring for their teeth after all is said and done. This doesn’t necessarily mean drinking a glass of red wine through a straw, but it does mean that people end up brushing, flossing, and even seeing their dentist more often. The last thing anyone wants after they improve their smile is to see it fall back into the way it was.
If you’re ready to get those pesky stains off of your teeth, taking the next step is as simple as making a call. The team at Signature Smile Family Dentistry is committed to making the whole process as carefree as possible, giving you the all the benefits with none of the hassles.
