Your Guide To Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is an incredibly popular cosmetic dental procedure. Many people long for sparkling white teeth, as it offers a dazzling look that can help improve your smile and boost your confidence. If you’re interested in teeth whitening but not sure if you should go ahead with it, stick around. This article by dental practice Portobello Dental offers an insight into everything you need to know about the teeth whitening process, as well as the causes of yellow teeth and why you may want to have your teeth whitened.
What causes yellowed teeth?
Those with yellow teeth are the most likely people to consider teeth whitening, as it may be an insecurity for them. But what causes yellow teeth and how can you avoid this?
Food and drink
Beverages such as coffee, red wine, and tea can really impact your teeth over a long period of time. The build up of these strong beverages can stain your teeth, resulting in a yellow-like appearance. Yellow teeth can occur over time due to the acids in certain foods and beverages, which can break down the enamel causing your teeth to appear yellow.
Ageing
Getting older is another big contributor to yellow teeth. This is due to the enamel thinning over time. When the enamel thins, it can cause the teeth to become yellow.
Smoking
Another cause of yellow teeth is through smoking. Tobacco can leave yellow and brown stains on your teeth, resulting in an undesirable appearance. If you’ve been thinking about quitting smoking, here is one more reason as to why you should!
How does teeth whitening work?
If for whatever reason you wish to improve your smile and receive teeth whitening treatment, you may be wondering how it works.
Teeth whitening can only be performed by a licensed dentist. A regulated dental professional needs to be present for teeth whitening procedures. It is illegal for a practice to offer teeth whitening if there is no regulated dental professional present, as this can have adverse effects to your oral health.
Teeth whitening works by using bleach to visibly whiten the surface of the teeth. This results in a dazzling white smile that may boost your self esteem and make you feel more confident within yourself.
The process of teeth whitening
If you’ve decided that you want to try out whitening your teeth, you should book an appointment with your dental surgery. Teeth whitening overall takes around 2-3 dentist visits.
On your first appointment your dentist will create a custom mouthguard for you and demonstrate how to use this alongside the bleaching gel that’s used to whiten your teeth. You must wear your custom mouthguard for as long as your dentist says for the treatment to work.
Teeth whitening is generally a safe procedure when done by licensed professionals, and it should not be painful. Many dentists recommend teeth whitening if you’re insecure about your smile and want to feel more confident about it.
