If you have stains on your teeth, then you may feel uncomfortable showing your smile to the world. However, to help brighten smiles by several different shades, your Astoria, NY, dentist may suggest professional teeth whitening. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at how we brighten smiles by several different shades using trays and gel!
The Factors Behind Your Discoloration
When we don’t take time to brush and floss properly, and we consume foods and beverages high in sugar, this allows particles to remain stuck between teeth for bacteria to consume. This process creates plaque buildup, which make stains more visible. In addition, some drinks with dark pigments, or tannins, such as tea, coffee, red wine, and soda, could discolor your smile too. Tobacco use is another common factor behind surface stains, also known as extrinsic discoloration.
Whitening With Trays and Gel
When you see us, we will perform a thorough exam to identify the cause and extent of your discoloration. Next, we will choose the optimal treatment option. In many cases, we will take detailed impressions of your smile and create a set of trays. We then send these trays home with you, along with a powerful bleaching gel. At home, the trays will be filled with gel and worn for about 30 to 45 minutes. Optimal results will usually take about a week to ten days, depending on the extent of your discoloration. Following treatment, your teeth could be brightened by up to eight shades, and you can keep the trays and remaining gel for touch-ups in the coming months.
What About Permanent Teeth Stains?
There are also stains that form beneath the enamel, known as intrinsic discoloration. These may be too severe to respond to traditional teeth whitening options, and could be caused by injury, fluorosis, or exposure to tetracycline at a young age. Fortunately, we can still help by masking them. Both dental bonding and porcelain veneers involve using materials to cover the teeth and mask common esthetic issues with shape and color. With bonding, we cover them in one visit, while veneers usually take two visits, but also address more esthetic issues than bonding alone. If you have any questions about treating teeth stains, or about any of our other cosmetic treatment options, then contact our team today to schedule a visit. We want to help you obtain a stunning new smile!
Do You Have Questions About Teeth Whitening?
We know how valuable a bright smile is for people, which is why we offer professional treatment options to remove discoloration. To learn more about removing stains from your smile, then schedule a consultation by calling Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, in Astoria, NY, today at 718-728-8320.
