If you don’t want to smile because your teeth are stained or discolored, you may want to consider teeth whitening services or products. Usually, teeth whitening can address this issue.
Tooth stains can occur from the inner layer of your teeth or the outer layer. External stains result from smoking as well as consuming tooth-staining foods and beverages. Also, they may happen because of natural aging. Over time, your tooth enamel can erode and reveal yellowish dentin. Meanwhile, some stains can be due to the medications you take, tooth decay, or genetics. Professional Bismarck teeth whitening procedures can effectively address external dental stains.
What Your Dentist Should See Before They Perform Teeth Whitening
To determine if you can benefit from in-office teeth whitening, your dentist will ensure you don’t have cavities and gum disease. Sometimes, teeth whitening can cause slight gum inflammation. So, if you have gum disease, plaque is already irritating your gums. Further irritation from the whitening process can lead to gum bleeding and tooth sensitivity.
If you don’t have cavities or gum disease, then you can safely undergo teeth whitening treatment. Before the procedure, your dentist will order custom gel trays.
Reasons You May Not Be a Good Candidate for Professional Teeth Whitening
For most dentists, teenagers should not undergo professional teeth whitening. Bleaching the teeth at a young age can cause them to become brittle eventually. Also, dentists do not recommend the use of at-home whitening kits as they are not as potent as professional kits and tend to take longer to work. Minors who wish to get their teeth whitened must begin with fluoride treatment and deep cleaning.
Generally, dentists do not recommend professional teeth whitening to pregnant patients. In-office teeth whitening is also not advised for lactating mothers. The whitening gel used in the procedure contains peroxide, which is an active ingredient. While this chemical is not harmful, it may cause an allergic response or unexpected side effects in patients.
In addition, patients who have dental crowns, veneers, implants, or bridges must speak with their dentists before they can initiate teeth whitening treatment. The whitening process can cause the teeth to have a lighter color than their old restoration. As a result, the patient will have a mismatched-looking smile.
If you are not happy about your smile, you should speak with your dentist about getting professional teeth whitening done. Your dentist will evaluate your mouth and condition to decide if you are a good candidate for the procedure.