This article takes a look at how professional teeth whitening works and the procedure followed by patients wanting to improve upon the color and brightness of their teeth.
Ever wonder why your teeth turn purple when you drink wine? Or why they become blue when you over-indulge in blueberries? Well, the enamel of your teeth is, under the microscope, riddled with tiny pores that absorb the tannins in red wine and dark pigments in berries. To get rid of the staining, you only really need to give your teeth a good scrub with some toothpaste, but over time, this staining can become permanent, especially if you regularly indulge in foods and beverages that contain dark pigments, dyes and tannins, such as tea, coffee, sodas and wine. Teeth that may once have been a beautiful, healthy pearly white can easily become dulled and discolored. Thankfully, cosmetic dentists in Colorado offer a solution to this problem and it comes in the form of a teeth whitening treatment.
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
A professional teeth whitening, as prescribed by Colorado dentists, can be done many ways. The most popular is bleaching. Your dentist will custom design you a mouth tray from molds that are taken, in-office, of your upper and lower dental arch. Once this is ready for collection, which is usually the day after your appointment, you will pick up your teeth whitening kit and return home ready to begin your smile enhancement!
The kit consists very simply of the mouth tray and a tube of special teeth whitening gel, which contains the bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide. All you need to do is squeeze a small amount of this gel into the tray and spread it evenly so that, when you place it in your mouth and bite down, every surface of your tooth is exposed to the bleach.
“We generally recommend that patients perform this procedure once a day for one or two hours,” explains the cosmetic dentist in Colorado Springs. “Treatment length varies depending upon the severity of staining and discoloration, but usually we find that Pueblo CO patients wear the teeth whitening tray daily for about two weeks. Thereafter, patients can do a treatment once every now and then just to maintain pearly whiteness.”
What are the Advantages of Professional Teeth Whitening?
A professional teeth whitening treatment in Pueblo CO achieves natural, beautiful results in a much quicker time frame, unlike many over-the-counter products. Because this cosmetic treatment is prescribed by medical professionals, the whitening gel used can legally contain a greater percentage of bleaching agent, which means it acts faster and more efficiently. “We find that over-the-counter products are better for the maintenance of white teeth, whereas a professional treatment will get you white teeth in the first place,” explains a teeth whitening specialist in Pueblo CO.
When is Teeth Whitening NOT a Solution for Discolored Teeth?
Teeth that have become yellowed or darkened are not always stained. Sometimes, tooth decay and the accumulation of plaque and tartar can cause your teeth to turn a less aesthetic color. In cases of poor oral health and hygiene, the Pueblo CO dentist will want to thoroughly clean your teeth and treat any infection or decay before simply addressing your cosmetic concerns. “Healthy teeth are beautiful teeth,” says the cosmetic dentist in Colorado. “So treating unhealthy teeth is kind of like killing two birds with one stone!”