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Your smile is one of the first features that people notice about you. If your teeth are stained you may be ashamed to smile. Fortunately, with teeth whitening performed in your dentist's office or at home, you can achieve a dazzling smile, worthy of being shared with the world. As you age, it's not uncommon for teeth to become stained or discolored. Your cosmetic dentist can help lighten the natural color of your teeth without resorting to the removal or replacement of teeth. Virtually everyone who chooses to whiten their teeth will see moderate to substantial improvement in the brightness and whiteness of their smile. What Causes Stains? Tooth discoloration falls under two different categories: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic discoloration occurs in the outer layer of the tooth, called the enamel, and the stains can range from white streaks to yellow tints or even brown spots and pits. Intrinsic discoloration occurs in the inner structure of the tooth, called the dentin, in which the dentin darkens or displays a yellow tint to the tooth. Your diet plays a significant role in the color of your teeth, and research has shown that certain types of food can contribute to the staining of your teeth more than others. Red wines, coffee, tea, soft drinks, oranges and other acidic foods are just a few of the main contributors of tooth discoloration. Smoking also plays a big role in the staining of your teeth as the nicotine leaves brown deposits which are gradually absorbed by the tooth causing intrinsic stains. Additionally, if you grind your teeth, cracks can be created which can potentially cause a darkening in the edges of your teeth. Whiten in the Comfort of Your Home Although you can get whitening treatments over the counter without a dentist's recommendation, if you use them incorrectly, they can harm your tooth enamel and irritate your gum tissue. Supervision by your dentist can prevent these problems. To ensure the health of your smile, visit your dentist before choosing and applying an over-the-counter tooth whitener. Your dentist may even prescribe a proper whitening treatment that you can perform at home, but that is still closely monitored by your dentist. This allows for proper maintenance and prevention of developing any problems from improper use. In-Office Professional Whitening Stains that are best removed with in-office whitening are those caused by aging, consumption of certain foods and tobacco use. No other teeth whitening procedure produces faster, safer results than in-office whitening because it is closely monitored and performed by your dentist. If you wish to experience significant color change in a short period of time, in-office whitening performed by your dentist is an appropriate solution for your smile enhancement. This is the most popular of dental procedures in the world today. Unlike at-home whitening systems, in-office whitening takes place under carefully monitored conditions which allow for the safe, controlled, pain-free use of a relatively high concentration of bleaching gel, which yields immediate results. Professional whitening that is performed by your Lombard dentist is proven to be the most effective and safest method for your smile. Performed properly, teeth whitening can last for several years. Over-the-counter whitening systems are also effective as long as they are monitored closely by your dentist. If you are interested in brightening your smile, visit your dentist for further consultation for an appropriate treatment plan.
Sean Hartmen writes for dentist in Lombard, Drs. Kyle Takla, Teresa Terez and Hetal Patel. These experienced Villa Park and Lombard Invisalign dentists offer a wide variety of dental services including, emergency dental care, Invisalign, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry and root canals.
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