Teeth Whitening
The Quickest Way to a Beautiful Smile
At Southridge Dental, we've got your back.
Your smile creates an immediate, subconscious, visual impact on people you meet. A brighter smile gives the impression of youth, vitality, radiant health, happiness, and warmth. A bright smile is perceived as a healthy smile, and teeth whitening can help achieve all these things.
Your Smile is Valuable
Society places a high value on our smiles. According to an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry survey:
- Virtually all adults (99.7%) believe a smile is an important social asset.
- 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to members of the opposite sex.
- Three-quarters (74%) of adults feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chance for career success.
Why Do We Need Teeth Whitening?
As we age, our adult teeth often become darker, yellower, or stained. This is partly why white teeth make people appear more youthful.
Just as there are a number of ways to lighten or brighten teeth, there are also several different ways for teeth to become discolored. The main causes of darkened teeth are genetics, antibiotics, and certain foods, plus teeth tend to darken as we age.
External tooth discoloration is caused by factors outside the body, mainly foods and tobacco. The main causes of external tooth yellowing are smoking, foods with tannins, coffee, tea, carrots, oranges, and other foods.
Types of Teeth Whitening
There are various ways to whiten your teeth, but the two most common are in-office or your dentist may provide you with a home teeth whitening solution.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
Professional tooth whitening in a dental office is the preferred whitening method because even though stronger agents are applied, the rest of the mouth, including the gums, is protected from these materials. The best whitening systems feature a buffer in the gel that protects the tooth enamel from damage, are extremely effective,and can transform teeth in a single office visit. Your teeth can literally brighten up to 10 shades in about an hour.
In-office whitening affects only the front eight teeth and is a great jumpstart for take-home whitening, which is always part of an effective whitening program.
Your dentist is best qualified to handle any issues that may arise from whitening treatments, such as tooth sensitivity. Today most tooth sensitivity cases are easily managed.
Tooth whitening can last for one or more years, depending on how well you take care of your teeth, and if you’re following up regularly with a home whitening product for regular maintenance.
