Joe’s Options for a Brighter Smile

Joe is a typical Alberta guy who represents a lot of men. Joe is shifting his lifestyle. He quit smoking, limits his coffee drinking, is exercising and eating better. Joe is into his second stage of his personal renovation, now he wants to remove the yellow stains on his teeth. He feels great and he wants his smile to show-off the improved Joe.

Joe wants to work on his smile, which includes teeth whitening; addressing gaps in his teeth and a chipped tooth (see Joe’s history). At his last dental check up and cleaning he asked about options to whiten his teeth. There are different approaches to getting his teeth brighter and whiter. Choices include whitening toothpastes, tooth whitening strips and gels and tray based whitening systems. Veneers and caps were also discussed to get a Hollywood smile.  http://www.smileworkscalgary.com/other_services/tooth-whitening/

Here are some considerations for Joe to evaluate for his teeth whitening:

-Care-

When using at home whitening kits be sure to follow all instructions and protect your gums from the active solution to minimize the risk of tooth and gum sensitivity.

In dental office treatments gums are protected from bleach, light and heat with a rubber shield or protective gel. Have a professional whiten your teeth to help minimize risks or side effects like tooth and gum sensitivity.

-Time-

Over the counter kits can sometimes take up to a month to show any noticeable whitening effects. Home kits are exactly as they say; you can apply it at home, which can be convenient. You don’t even need to get out of your pyjamas to whiten your teeth. Some systems require you to wear a whitening strip for a specific time. If you can stay on task and self motivated these kits may be the answer for you.

In office dental whitening can whiten teeth several shades in a few sessions or even during a one-hour treatment. Teeth whitening done by your dentist can get teeth brighter faster because the whitening solution is usually stronger than at-home kits. Also, heat, light, or a combination of the two may be used to speed and intensify the whitening process. If you have an important event just around the corner this may be the option for you.

-Cause-

The cause and severity of the staining may be a deciding factor when looking to whiten your teeth. Over the counter and in office cleaning can achieve desired effects.

Over the counter whitening treatments are designed for helping to brighten teeth with mild to moderate staining. They are not as successful in whitening teeth in patients with stubborn stains, such as teeth that have been stained by tetracyclines (a type of antibiotic) or teeth with deep-rooted gray or brown-ish hues.

Dental professionals can brighten teeth that may be stained more deeply. Light-activated teeth whitening can be successful in whitening teeth in patients with stubborn stains or unevenly stained teeth or just a single dark tooth. Dentists can also help to change the colour of teeth that have tooth-coloured fillings, bonding, crowns or any dental work that is made with resin composite materials. Your dentist can recommend options such as dental bonding or veneers to change the color of these teeth to match your new whiter smile. So if Joe is considering other procedures such as veneers this would eliminate the need to use other teeth whitening systems.

Your dental team can help you to choose what whitening options will help you to get your smile working for you.