How to Whiten and Brighten Your Teeth for the Holidays
Ready to dazzle with a radiant smile this holiday season? At Guided Smiles Prosthodontics and Implant Center, we offer a range of cosmetic dentistry solutions, including teeth whitening, to ensure your smile is as bright as everything around you this magical time of the year. Dr. Blackmon, our accomplished prosthodontist, will recommend the ideal option to transform your smile.
How Do Teeth Get Stained and Discolored?
As the years go by, repeated exposure to foods and beverages like coffee, tea, soda, berries, and tomato-based dishes can leave your teeth looking dull, stained, and discolored, as can smoking and the use of tobacco products. The good news is that professional teeth whitening can virtually erase most teeth stains and discoloration, leaving you with a bright, dazzling smile.
Do Over-the-Counter Whitening Products Work?
You may have tried to use a whitening toothpaste with little success. This is because whitening toothpastes contain mild abrasives that remove some of the surface stains. They do not contain bleaching agents that can truly alter the color of your tooth enamel and the underlying layers.
You’ll find numerous over-the-counter and do-it-yourself kits available, including whitening kits, whitening strips, rinses, or trays. While many of these products promise dazzling results, they often take weeks to show noticeable improvement, if any. Moreover, any misstep in their application can leave you with irritation and tooth sensitivity, and, worse yet, they can cause serious damage to your tooth enamel and gums. For the best and safest results, we recommend whitening your teeth under the care of a dental professional.
How Does Professional Teeth Whitening Work?
Professional teeth whitening is one of the fastest ways to transform your smile with impressive results. It involves the application of a peroxide-based whitening gel to your tooth surfaces. As the bleaching agent penetrates your tooth enamel, it breaks down the stain molecules, virtually erasing years of staining and discoloration. Most of our patients report incredible results, with smiles several shades whiter and brighter after just one in-office treatment!
If you would prefer to whiten your teeth at home, we are happy to provide you with custom trays and professional whitening gel. You will simply place some gel in your trays and wear them for the recommended duration, as per your instructions. You should achieve your desired results in a week or two, depending on the extent of discoloration.
Are You a Candidate for Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is ideal for most patients, especially those with dull or yellowish discoloration resulting from repeated exposure to dark foods or tobacco products. However, it may not yield the desired results if the teeth are grayish or brownish in color due to trauma or medications like tetracycline. Teeth whitening works only on your natural tooth structure, so it will not lift stains off fillings, crowns, or dentures.
If teeth whitening is not right for you, Dr. Blackmon may recommend alternate cosmetic dentistry options, such as cosmetic bonding, porcelain veneers, or dental crowns.
Maintaining Your White, Bright Smile
After you achieve your white holiday smile, there are things you can do to keep it healthy and bright, including the following:
- Maintain meticulous oral hygiene practices, including regular brushing and flossing, to gently remove any plaque and food debris.
- Limit the consumption of staining foods and drinks, including coffee, tea, red wine, and berries.
- Make sure your diet is rich in crunchy fruits and vegetables, which can naturally remove plaque and food debris.
- Avoid smoking or using any type of tobacco product, which not only dulls your smile but can lead to a host of oral health concerns.
- Drink plenty of water throughout your day to flush away bacteria, plaque, and food debris.
- Keep up with your routine dental cleanings to remove any new surface stains before they set in.
Cosmetic Dentistry Near Me in Ponte Vedra, FL
Contact Guided Smiles Prosthodontics & Implant Center to learn more about achieving your brightest smile in time for the holidays. Dr. Blackmon, our accomplished prosthodontist, will recommend the ideal cosmetic dentistry solution to lift teeth stains and discoloration and whiten and brighten your smile. Call us at 904-395-5501 or schedule an appointment online today!