Everything You Wanted to Know about Teeth Whitening

                                                                                         

Teeth whitening is a very popular dental procedure. It can make your teeth up to ten shades brighter and the result can last for months. Teeth get discolored due to several reasons like consumption of items like tea, red wine, coffee, or tobacco. Sometimes food particles accumulate in the cracks in the teeth. All this can change the color of your teeth to a shade of yellow, brown or even black in extreme cases. Without perfectly white teeth, it is not possible to have a beautiful smile. Since a smile is one of the most important features of one’s personality, discolored teeth can lead to low self esteem.

Why does teeth get stained or discolored?

Our teeth are made up of two parts. The inner part is made up of a calcified tissue called dentin. Dentin has microscopic channels which reach out to the enamel. The enamel is the outer most part of the teeth. It protects the teeth. A layer forms over the enamel when we eat something. Stains are formed when particles remain in the microscopic cracks in the enamel or dentin. Extrinsic stains are formed on the outer layer of teeth and can be easily removed by brushing. However, intrinsic stains are formed inside the teeth. Thus these stains cannot be removed by brushing.

How do teeth become whiter?

Teeth whitening procedure involves the application of chemicals like highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide to the teeth. When the chemical is applied on the teeth, it penetrates the enamel the teeth and reacts with the materials responsible for the discoloration of the teeth. Since the chemicals are of highly concentrated, the dentist uses precautions to ensure that gums and other oral tissues are not harmed. Thus it is safer to allow a dentist to whiten teeth.

You may find home kits for teeth whitening. These home kits contain low concentration of peroxide and the effectiveness of these kits is limited. If you get your teeth professionally cleaned then your teeth may get ten times brighter and the result may last for months depending on the nature of food consumption and oral care.

You will find several clinics offering teeth whitening procedures. Some of them have websites, so they may be contacted through the internet. You should choose a clinic carefully after making sure that it has the required equipment and trained dentists to carry out the procedure.

About the author:
Burke Dentist - Lorton Dentist Dr. Ryan Reeves of Aesthetic Dentistry of Lorton has extensive experience in cosmetic dentistry, and serves the communities of Alexandria, Fairfax, LakeRidge, Kingstowne, Springfield, Woodbridge and Burke, Virginia (VA).


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