Teeth Whitening

What causes teeth staining?

Over time virtually everyone experiences changes in the shade of their smile. There are a number of reasons your teeth can become stained or discolored, and a combination of factors is often to blame. 

The aging process is a primary culprit. The outer layer of your teeth is composed of a hard tissue called enamel. As that thin layer of tissue slowly wears away, more of the underlying dentin is exposed, which is naturally yellow in color. 

Additional factors that can cause teeth staining include:

• Tobacco use
• Drinking red wine, coffee, or tea
• Foods like berries and soy sauce
• Poor dental hygiene
• Chemotherapy or radiation
• Certain medications

If you feel like your smile could use a boost, professional teeth whitening is safe and effective. 

How does professional teeth whitening work?

During your visit, while you relax in the exam chair, a special device is placed on your mouth to hold your lips out of the way. Your practitioner paints a medical-grade whitening solution on the front surface of your teeth. A special light may be used to activate the whitening solution. 

You can listen to music or rest as the solution goes to work blasting apart stain particles. After a period of time, the practitioner removes the whitening solution and rinses your mouth. You can achieve several shades of whitening during just one visit. 

The Smile Bright Dental team also offers a take-home, tray-based system to whiten teeth. This process involves creating custom-fitted plastic trays that fit snugly over the surface of your teeth. 

You’ll place the whitening gel in the trays and then wear them for a prescribed period of time. This approach takes more time than in-office whitening, but also gives you more control over the final results, as you can stop whitening when you’re happy with the shade. 

What about over-the-counter whitening options?

There are a multitude of products that promise to brighten your smile, but none can match the power of professional teeth whitening solutions. Strip-based systems don’t keep the whitening formula in contact with your teeth for long enough to get the job done, and commercially available tray-based systems don’t offer a great fit. 

While whitening pastes, floss, and rinses can help slow the staining process after professional whitening, they simply lack the power to improve your shade on their own. That’s why professional teeth whitening is among the most popular cosmetic dentistry options available. 

Learn more during a one-on-one consultation, which you can schedule online or over the phone at your earliest convenience.  

We are open on Saturdays and will take emergency patients as soon as possible.