We were very happy to participate in the Luxe Wedding Faire exhibition this past Sunday, August 7! Congrats to all the engaged couples, we were very pleased to meet and talk with many of you! In this post, I would like to address what I found myself repeating over and over again throughout the course of the day. If it’s on the minds of the brides-to-be, it’s on the minds of many other people.
Let’s start with the basics. Staining can be classified in two ways–extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal). Stains occur naturally throughout the course of our lives, and can vary depending on what kinds of habits a person may have–from foods and drinks, aging, smoking, oral hygiene habits, etc. When it comes to foods and drinks, I always say if it stains your clothes, it has the potential to stain your teeth!
External stains may be removed by cleaning of the teeth–at home and more effectively, professionally, in the dental office. Internal stains, that deeper color that comes from within the tooth, need to removed with tooth whitening treatments utilizing either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide gels. Whitening can be a perfectly safe (if professionally supervised) and conservative way to improve the appearance of your smile. It doesn’t damage the teeth, though you may experience some common temporary side effects such as tooth sensitivity and burns to the gums. Before doing any treatment, realize that everybody has different whitening goals, some which cannot be achieved with just one round of treatment. Also, the effects of whitening are not permanent, as teeth will stain again over time, and touch-ups may be necessary once a year or as needed.
Whitening treatments can be either over-the-counter (OTC) or professional. The difference between the two is the strength of the peroxide gel. OTC whitening can be quite cost-effective, and products such as Crest Whitestrips may work well enough for some people. However, not everyone’s mouths are one-size-fits-all. For instance, crowded or overlapping teeth may not get good enough contact with the gel strip, or some people’s smiles show more teeth than the standard 6-teeth strip. Some people also may not get the dramatic results they were hoping for. Then, you may want to consider professional whitening with stronger peroxide gel.
In our office, we are happy to offer different professional treatments, ranging from take-home to one hour in-office treatments. I highly recommend a dental exam prior to any whitening treatment, whether it’s professional or OTC–there are many things that may make a person an unsuitable candidate, and I’d be happy to offer tips to improve the whitening effects and also to practically eliminate the potential side effects.
Contact our office if you have any questions! Stay tuned through Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more oral health info!
Happy whitening!
Vivian Tang, D.D.S.
*Photo from http://www.overthecounterteethwhitening.org/