Are you embarrassed to smile because your teeth are stained and discolored? Would you like whiter teeth? If you’re like most people, the answer is yes.
To achieve that goal, more and more people today are willing to spend their hard earned money on the latest teeth whitening methods. For many, a brilliant smile is just one treatment away.
Relatively few people today are lucky enough to maintain their teeth’s natural brilliance as they get older, since teeth normally undergo discoloration as we age. Fortunately there are a variety of teeth whitening treatments available that will effectively whiten your teeth, some by as many as 10 shades or more.
Why do our teeth tend to become discolored over time? One reason has to do with what we eat and drink. Do you drink a lot of coffee? How about soda? Tea? Red wine? Do you smoke? All these will hasten the discoloration of our teeth as we get older.
Discoloration can also occur beneath the surface of a tooth. This is due to small cracks in the tooth’s enamel which allow the dentin underneath to become stained. Some antibiotics also cause teeth to absorb stains beneath the surface, especially when those antibiotics are taken while the teeth are being formed.
One popular method of teeth whitening today is tray bleaching. We will look at this method and how it works in the rest of this article.
As the name implies, tray bleaching involves the custom fitting of a special tray to the size and shape of the patient’s mouth. The whitening solution is placed in side the tray, which is then placed inside the patient’s mouth and over his or her teeth.
Typically, peroxides such as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide are used as bleaching agents. As they decompose inside the patient’s mouth, oxygen is released which then penetrates the teeth’s surface, providing whitening to the dentin below as well as to the surface.
Once the tray bleaching treatment has begun, you will have to continue it at home for a few weeks. Typically you will apply the whitening chemical each day for about thirty minutes. This can last for up to four weeks, although results can begin to be seen in about a week.
Teeth bleaching is one popular teeth whitening option. Your dentist will be able to help you decide if it is the right choice for you.
Tags: Oxygen, Hard Earned Money, Perfect Smile, Cracks
