Tips For White Teeth

Tooth whitening is not a new development and with great success over and over has become the top cosmetic dentistry procedure in America. Whiter teeth can be obtained through a number of different avenues including professional procedures, over the counter treatments and home remedies. To whiten your teeth and find the best whitening method for you it’s important to find out which of the procedures will work for your specific situation and learn the teeth whitening risks that may be involved.

First consider the level of whiteness you are seeking and the condition of your current teeth. One thing to consider is the level of dental work you have had done. While, bleaching is highly effective on your natural teeth it will not change the color of your dentures, bonding, crowns or veneers and this may results in Technicolor, or mismatch, teeth.

Another thing to consider is the sensitivity of your teeth. Some bleaching or whitening agents can aggravate sensitive teeth and gums causing discomfort. While sensitivity has been most associated with the moments following an in-office treatment, because of the higher concentration of bleach, it can be caused with other treatments as well if you are prone to temperature, touch and pressure sensitivity. As with the teeth, the gums can be affected by the bleach and other whitening chemicals causing a sensitive reaction. This sensitivity generally lasts only a few days and dissipates once the bleaching process is removed from the teeth.

These are the teeth whitening risks to consider before starting a treatment and though they are not usually a deterrent, it’s important to know them going in. A couple of other things to consider is that treatments may take up to two weeks for the full results to appear and this should be considered if you have pending dental work in that time period, so that the dental work can be matched to the new shade of your teeth. It is also not recommended for pregnant or nursing women to undergo teeth whitening procedures because of the risks of swallowing the bleach used. Once you have taken everything into consideration and are comfortable with the procedure, talk with your dentist about the whitening options available to you and you’ll be on your way to a brighter smile.