Do you have stains on your teeth? If so, this could be a source of embarrassment! Instead of trying to hide your smile from the world, why not brighten your smile? In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about our approach to teeth whitening, and how we can mask severe discoloration.
Professional Strips
We can provide professional whitening strips, which you can use to brighten your teeth by several shades. These are specially designed to limit tooth sensitivity when used, and can offer smiles brightened by up several shades after only one to two weeks. This is a great way to remove most extrinsic stains, or the ones that form on the surfaces of your teeth. These could be caused by consuming foods and drinks with lots of sugar and starch, which encourage plaque buildup. Dinks with dark pigments, like coffee, red wine, soda, and tea could be factors too, as could smoking cigarettes and infrequent brushing and flossing. A lack of professional cleanings is also a factor in the onset of surface discoloration.
Bonding
Sometimes, we see patients with intrinsic teeth stains, which develop beneath the outer enamel. These could be brought on by injury to the tooth. Excessive fluoride exposure at a young age, or the use of certain medications at a young age. Strips may not be able to remove these and instead you may need to mask them. With dental bonding, we apply the same composite resin we use for fillings to the outside of the tooth. We shade the material to blend with the surrounding teeth. In one visit, we can mask stains, and also correct issues with the shape of the teeth too, including minor chips and cracks.
Veneers
Our team could also mask discoloration with porcelain veneers. These are very thin shells of porcelain that we custom-make and attach to the front facing side of your teeth. In addition to instantly masking stains, they can close gaps between teeth, reshape malformed ones, lengthen worn down teeth and repair cracked and chipped teeth, and even correct the appearance of minor misalignment. For many, these offer a smile makeover in as little as two visits!
Cleanings
Our team also want to see you every six months for a checkup. This visit involves our team gently and thoroughly removing all plaque and tartar with an ultrasonic scaling device. We then polish the teeth. This not only fights cavities and gum disease, but also brightens the teeth as well. You even enjoy fresher breath as a result too!
Do You Have Questions About Cosmetic Dentistry?
We would like to help you enjoy a shining smile once again. If you would like to learn more about brightening your smile, then schedule a consultation by calling Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, in Astoria, NY, today at 718-728-8320.
