Teeth Whitening

Does the sound of revitalizing your smile excite you? The yellower your teeth become, the older you might appear. Everything from our regular habits to s daily cup of joe contributes to less than white chompers. Luckily, our team at Dee for Dentist can brighten your smile either in-office or in-home.

The Three Reasons for Discoloration

Not all yellowing, browning, or other discoloring's are the same. As whitening treatments continue to become more popular, dentists have found three forms of discoloration:

• Extrinsic
• Intrinsic
• Combination

Extrinsic Discoloring

These are the most common reasons most people seek a whitening or bleaching treatment. Extrinsic causes are from external forces that stain the outer surface of the enamel. These stains are often from:

• Coffee, tea, and other darker fluids
• Wine, both white and red
• Curry, berries, and various other foods
• Sweets and sugars

Since these are only surface deep, often your tooth color can improve by eight times brighter.

Intrinsic Discoloring

Intrinsic stains are much more complicated and prove a much more serious problem. These cases have infected dentin that proves much more challenging to whiten. Usually, the culprits for these stains are overexposure to medicines and antibiotics. These are much more difficult to correct, and improvement may not be as drastic.

Combination Discoloration

As the name suggests, this condition has instances of both damaged enamel and dentin. Over the years, coffee, smoking, and alcohol add up. It all comes to a head later in life as your enamel thins with age. The stains, which are now deeper, can begin to affect the soft dentin on the tooth.

How Long Will Treatment Take?

This comes down to the method you choose: in-office or in-home. For those of you who prefer in-office experiences, it'll last roughly an hour. In-home solutions often take up to a month but sometimes only a couple of weeks.

Is Teeth Whitening Safe?

While it’s a safe treatment of cosmetic dentistry, not everyone should have their teeth whitened. We recommend that those with fillings or sensitive teeth not receive this treatment, it could be a bit uncomfortable or less effective. Also, while not harmful, Pediatric Dentists say children shouldn’t have their teeth whitened until after their baby teeth fall out.