Winter holds the promise of cold, crisp sunny days and snowy sports, so there is plenty to smile about, but if you don’t feel confident about your teeth, it is tempting to hide your grin. If your teeth are looking less than pearly white, there is plenty you can do to rejuvenate their appearance affordably and safely.
Common Causes of Tooth Discoloration
Usually, tooth discolouration is caused by lifestyle habits or because of ageing. Your teeth can stain if you drink a lot of tea and coffee or wine, or soft drinks. While highly coloured foods and beverages can stain teeth, so can anything very acidic, like a glass of white wine or diet soft drinks that often contain acid. Foods that are acidic soften and erode your tooth enamel over time, allowing more of your natural tooth colour in the dentin underneath to shine through and which is darker.
As you get older, your teeth will also change colour because of acid erosion over the years. Some people have naturally darker teeth. Other times, teeth may have discoloured because of older fillings or root canal therapy, or exposure to excess fluoride while teeth were still developing.
Taking That First Step Towards a Whiter Smile
The best thing you can do if you would like to brighten your smile is to book a visit with us here at West Bowmanville Family Dental. Our dentist can assess your teeth and tell you why they look discoloured and how best to brighten them. Possible options include a simple hygiene treatment to scale and polish your teeth, or you may wish to treat yourself to a professional teeth whitening procedure.
Having Your Teeth Cleaned Professionally
Ideally, most people will have their teeth cleaned professionally every six months anyway, but it is a great way to refresh your smile and what’s even nicer is that it helps to protect your oral health. When you see one of our wonderful hygienists here in Newcastle, they will clean your teeth thoroughly yet gently, getting rid of all plaque and calculus buildup. Calculus often collects around the gum line, and it can look yellow and stained. Getting rid of it not only brightens your smile but also removes harmful bacteria that can otherwise infect and inflame your gums. Lightly polishing your teeth helps to remove some surface stains.
Teeth Whitening Procedures
Having your teeth cleaned professionally definitely helps them look sparkly and fresh, and might be all that is needed. However, if you want a slightly whiter smile, it’s worth investigating a professional teeth whitening treatment. Whitening your teeth professionally in Clarington is the safest and most effective way to lift deep-seated stains from teeth without running the risk of harming them.
There are two options for brightening your teeth, and the quickest is to have an in-office Zoom whitening treatment. It’s very safe and extremely effective, lifting your teeth’ colour by several shades in a single appointment. After assessing your suitability for treatment, your teeth are painted with professional-strength whitening gel activated by light, helping the gel penetrate your teeth more easily and quickly.
Afterwards, you can keep your teeth white over time by using a custom-made home whitening kit in Courtice. With a whitening kit, we take a digital dental impression of your teeth and use it to fabricate custom whitening trays that fit precisely and comfortably over your teeth. Some people may prefer only to use a custom whitening kit to brighten their teeth as it is a very gentle treatment that is great for those with more sensitive teeth and who would prefer to whiten more slowly over a couple of weeks or so.