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Whitening
Teeth Whitening in Minneapolis
As far as your smile goes, nothing looks better than white teeth. The good news is that the dentist has several dental techniques available to whiten teeth, and as a result many people are able to have whiter teeth simply and a much better smile. Others, however, are not so lucky, and we hope we can shed some light on matter here. A simple meeting with the dentist in any case should be able to determine if you — the reader — are such a candidate in this interesting area of dentistry!
Stained and yellowed teeth: good whitening candidates
Our teeth tend to stain and turn yellow with daily use and age. Certain foods and drinks, especially coffee and tea, as well as tobacco use, will discolor teeth even more noticably.
The good news is that this natural discoloration of teeth can be reversed with teeth whitening in many cases.
Brown and gray teeth: not so good whitening candidates
Brown teeth have some chanced of becoming whiter with teeth whitening treatments. On the other hand, gray teeth may not whiten at all. However, the dentist will be able to tell you for sure what the case is with your teeth.
Fillings, crowns, etc. will not whiten
No matter how white one is able to whiten the teeth, man-made materials used for fillings, crowns and the like are meant to retain their original color, and they will not whiten under teeth whitening treatments. In the case of a tooth filling, for example, the tooth structure around the filling may whiten, but the filling itself will then stick out as an off-color. If the filling is on the front teeth and in a noticable location, teeth whitening may not enhance the smile in such cases.
On the other hand, making the smile look better is what cosmetic dentistry is all about. The dentist once again should be able to give you a number of options to make that smile the best it can be, where whitening is just the first step in making all the teeth look their best.
How teeth are whitened
Teeth whitening is done by fitting your teeth with trays molded exactly to fit your teeth and bite, and where a gel placed in the trays flows over each tooth. This gel usually contains a percentage of peroxide, a compound that bleaches the teeth. After being shown how to use the trays and the accompanying gel, you whiten your teeth at home for a specific period of time each day. The total length of the treatment differs for every patient.
Why we do not do 'fast' whitening
We all like things that are fast with instantaneous results. When it comes to teeth whitening, however, we do not believe faster is better. Two problems can come about with fast whitening in our experience. Firstly, the teeth can become extremely sensitive from fast whitening products. Secondly, fast bleaching products can make the teeth brittle in some cases.
Teeth whitening using custom fit trays and gel takes a couple of weeks to make the the teeth turn white, but without overly painful sensitivity and with less strain on the teeth.
White teeth do not mean healthy teeth
White teeth look great, but keep in mind white teeth do not mean healthy teeth. First and foremost, healthy teeth are clean teeth, and teeth whitening products are not designed to clean the teeth; they are simply designed to make the teeth whiter. Unclean teeth lead to decay and disease no matter how white they are.
So learning the correct hygiene skills. with respect to brushing and flossing is critical to keep the teeth healthy. Then getting them nice and white is a terrific thing to do.
Read more about teeth whitening from the American Dental Association
From the doctor on whitening
"Many patients are good candidates for whitening. If this procedure is of interest to you, ask me about it on your next visit to see if your teeth can be successfully whitened."
- Dr. Tripti Meysman
Your dentist in downtown Minneapolis