While stained teeth are no health hazard, everyone likes a pearly white smile. Teeth whitening with a Grand Prairie dentist can be a great way to improve your self-confidence and feel comfortable showing off your smile.
Dental professionals can solve discoloration, eliminate stains, and help you achieve the smile of your dreams in one single session, offering much better results than over-the-counter options. In this article, we’ll explain why and give you some pointers on what you can expect from a professional whitening.
What Is Professional Teeth Whitening?
Professional teeth whitening is a procedure that lightens and reduces the yellowness of your teeth using whitening gels and occasionally LED lights. A dental examination is required prior to beginning these procedures, which are carried out in an office under the supervision of a dentist.
The procedure can take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to complete and works only on natural teeth. Tooth-colored fillings, crowns, and veneers, for example, cannot be whitened.
Unknown to most, getting dental whitening with underlying dental issues can have several consequences. For example, your gum disease or cavities may worsen as the laser beam that helps whiten your teeth can harm your already sensitive teeth. This can also be excruciatingly painful.
Benefits of Professional Whitening Over Other Options
Getting a whitening procedure at a dental office can offer better results that last longer. To understand why, though, we must first explain how stains come to happen. There are three main stain types in your teeth:
- Extrinsic stains occur from ingesting various foods and regular practices like smoking.
- Intrinsic stains are caused by the tooth's internal condition. Intrinsic stains can result from fluorosis, genetic conditions, natural aging, and certain antibiotic use during childhood.
- Combination-type stains, which are a mix of both.
While over-the-counter whitening methods can help remove most extrinsic stains, intrinsic ones often require the help of a professional. Depending on the type of stain and your objectives, you and your dentist can talk about the best whitening techniques for you.
Professional Teeth Whitening Aftercare Tips
Teeth whitening is a non-invasive procedure that doesn’t cause any pain, so the recovery period is basically nonexistent. Some patients experience increased sensitivity afterward, but it subsides after a few days.
There are, though, some post-whitening tips we recommend following to ensure your white results last as long as possible. For example, darker foods and beverages like berries and coffee can stain your long-desired white smile, making the treatment a waste of time and money.
Smoking is also out of the question, as cigarette smoke and nicotine contribute to staining your teeth.
Get Professional Teeth Whitening from a Grand Prairie Dentist
From tea, coffee, candies, or even energy drinks, several things that we consider normal in our day-to-day can cause stains to develop in our teeth. When this happens, in-office whitening treatment can help you brighten your teeth three to eight shades in only one hour while protecting your sensitive gum and tooth root areas.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits a professional whitening has to offer, reach out to Lynn Creek Dental! We’re passionate about helping you achieve the smile of your dreams without compromising your dental health.
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