Everybody wants a healthy, white smile in Bowmanville, and teeth whitening is one solution. It can help rejuvenate the appearance of teeth that have become discoloured, yellow, and stained, often due to lifestyle choices or simply because of aging.
However, teeth whitening is a dental treatment. Therefore, if you want to achieve a whiter smile safely, it’s important to see a dentist in Newcastle.
What Is Teeth Whitening?
A tooth whitening treatment is a straightforward process in which a form of bleach is applied to tooth surfaces, allowing it to penetrate the tooth enamel. The bleach helps remove stains in tooth enamel, resulting in lighter and brighter-looking teeth.
What Happens If You Overuse Whitening Products?
We know many people want the whitest and brightest smile possible and may overuse whitening products in an effort to achieve this.
However, using teeth whitening products too frequently or combining over-the-counter products with professional teeth whitening can damage tooth enamel. Your gums can become irritated, especially if they come into contact with tooth whitening gel.
Additionally, your teeth may begin to look more translucent, particularly around the incisal or biting edge. They could appear increasingly grey and lifeless as the enamel is damaged.
Why You Should Talk to Us before Teeth Whitening
At West Bowmanville Family Dental, teeth whitening is one of our most requested services due to its affordability and effectiveness. But we always complete a dental exam before providing any form of teeth whitening.
Why Is It Important to Have a Dental Exam before Whitening?
Not everyone is suitable for teeth whitening, and it’s essential to determine the reason why your teeth have stained to assess whether treatment will be effective.
For example, some stains are internal or intrinsic, which can occur if you have a tooth that has discoloured after root canal therapy or was exposed to antibiotics during development.
Teeth with dental restorations will not change colour. The bleaching agents used in teeth whitening cannot change the colour of porcelain crowns, bridges, veneers and fillings.
Most importantly, you need to have reasonable dental health to whiten safely. If you have untreated tooth decay, the whitening agents may penetrate the teeth, reaching the tooth nerve and causing sensitivity or pain.
The same thing can occur if you have active gum disease, where your gums have receded, exposing your tooth roots. These tooth roots are not protected by tooth enamel, allowing the bleach to penetrate them and cause sensitivity or pain.
Even if you intend to use over-the-counter products, it’s still important to have a dental exam first.
Ensuring You Whiten Safely
Our teeth whitening treatments are carried out under the supervision of a dental professional. Options include in-office whitening as well as custom home kits.
An in-office treatment is ideal if you have healthy teeth and want to whiten quickly. We use Zoom whitening in Clarington, which provides excellent results within as little as an hour.
Alternatively, you may wish to whiten at home using a custom kit that contains carbamide peroxide, a whitening gel safe for home use. This can be a good solution if you have issues with tooth sensitivity and would feel more comfortable whitening more slowly using a lower-strength whitening gel.
Topping Up the Results Safely
A professional teeth whitening treatment in Courtice will provide longer-lasting results, and we can recommend when to top up your treatment safely. When the time comes, we can either provide an in-office treatment or a suitable strength professional whitening product for use at home.
Your teeth are precious, and with a professional teeth whitening treatment, you can ensure you have your healthiest and brightest smile.