Do You Need Whitening Or Veneers?

How do you feel about the brightness of your teeth? Over time, our teeth often become dulled with brown or yellow stains. To remove these stains we need cosmetic dentistry. What option will best improve your smile? Do you need whitening or veneers? In addition, what steps can you take to help your new smile stay brighter for longer periods of time?

Teeth Whitening

Most teeth stains form on the surface and are the result of the foods and drinks we consume, as well as age or possibly tobacco use. For these we can typically recommend teeth whitening. We actually offer two different forms:

• At-home: We take impressions of your teeth in order to create a set of trays. You then fill the trays with gel and wear them every day for the amount of time the doctor recommends. Total treatment takes around a week to ten days.
• In-office: We apply a peroxide-based gel to the teeth in layers every 15 minutes, total treatment taking about 45 minutes. For people interested in a quick fix, this may be preferable to the home-based treatment.

Porcelain Veneers

Some stains actually form below the surface of the enamel, such as discoloration due to injury, fluorosis, or the use of certain mediations, such as tetracycline. For these, traditional teeth whitening may not be enough in certain cases. However, using a lifelike dental restoration we can actually mask the stains. Veneers are very thin and are placed over the front of the teeth, changing the appearance of the tooth and masking stains.

How Do I Keep My Smile Bright?

Following your treatment you can take steps from home to help your new bright smile stay beautiful for longer periods of time, such as:

• Brushing and flossing daily
• Having your teeth cleaned twice a year
• Avoiding drinks with dark pigments (coffee, soda, tea, red wine)
• Avoiding tobacco products