Smiles play a huge role in establishing first impressions! Of course, everyone deserves a grin they are proud to show off, and whitening teeth is just another way of helping you achieve that confidence. At Petrunic Orthodontics, you can receive this cosmetic dental procedure and achieve wonderful results in no time! Our team is here to offer an overview of common teeth discoloration causes, our treatment options, and how to maintain the work you get done!
Common Causes of Teeth Discoloration
Foods and Beverage Choice
The biggest cause of stained teeth is eating and drinking dark sustenance such as berries, red wine, soda, black tea, and one of the strongest being coffee. Tooth enamel may feel smooth to the touch, but it actually has a porous surface where these refreshments can seep into and cause discoloration. You may not notice a change overnight, but it embeds itself into your teeth the more you eat or drink these items, becoming harder to simply brush it out yourself.
Tobacco Use
When you regularly smoke tobacco, you expose your teeth to nicotine. Though colorless, it turns yellow once exposed to air. Nicotine then builds up on the surface of your teeth and begins the staining process. The longer and more frequently you engage in tobacco use, the quicker your teeth will stain and even turn to a light brown after a period of time.
Long-term staining can be very hard to remove and may need professional care. Constant use additionally makes you more vulnerable to suffering from gum disease.
The Aging Process
As you age, your tooth enamel begins to stretch out. This exposes dentin, the tissue underneath your teeth, thus matching your teeth to the tissue’s natural, yellowish hue. Unlike the above two causes, discoloration through aging is an unavoidable side effect. It may additionally leave your teeth more likely to suffer from decay and further damage.
Tooth Trauma
Another unavoidable cause of discoloration is that your teeth may change color due to the severity of an incident. When your teeth experience trauma (for example, a fall, sports injury, car accident, etc.), your inner dental pulp gets damaged, disrupting its natural blood flow and sometimes triggering internal bleeding. Sometimes, even being the result of gradual tooth decay or infection, staining may not be immediate. It can take place up to weeks after an incident.
Your Treatment Options With Us
Here at Petrunic Orthodontics, we offer our patients two powerful options to treat stained teeth.
Colgate Optic White Professional System
Featuring treatments both in-office and in-home options, Colgate Optic White Professional System offers a silicone mouthpiece in which a formulated gel is put in and positioned on the teeth for about 10 minutes at a time.
When you are in our office, we will insert the mouthpiece, which triggers a slight electrical current. This allows for the gel to work its magic! Repeating twice more for a total of 30 minutes of treatment, you will be happy to see your teeth already many shades closer to white! A pain-free option, you can additionally take home a kit where you can do the same work yourself, including ten 10-minute treatments.
Sheer White
An even simpler option, Sheer White whitening strips are a treatment we offer when opting for something more comfortable. Simply place the strips along your gum line and leave them there for one to two hours a day (or overnight for quicker results).
Nearly invisible, you can continue your regular routine of talking, eating, and drinking without any restrictions. You won’t even have any need to worry about feeling them on your teeth or others noticing they are even there. They cause no irritation and bring about effective results in as little as five days!
Maintaining A Bright Smile
#1) Frequently Drink Water
If you don’t get a chance to brush your teeth after a meal with dark-staining items, you can take the precaution of drinking water to flush through the leftover food particles. This will keep them from lingering on your teeth and making their way into the porous tooth enamel surface.
If you want to avoid as much contact between your teeth and staining substances as possible, you can even use a straw. Moderating your intake can minimize the opportunity your teeth have to soak in the foods and drinks you consume.
#2) Practice Good Oral Hygiene
When you keep up with your general oral hygiene after a procedure, you are already working in the right direction to maintain your whitened smile. By brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day, specifically using a soft-bristle brush and toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association, your teeth are sure to stay in great condition.
#3) Attend Your Biannual Cleanings
Should you notice the beginning signs of staining, the easier it is to get it whitened earlier before it becomes a more severe issue. In addition to staining, we are able to help you monitor your teeth and provide early diagnoses when our team sees something concerning.
Make Your Smile Dazzle Today!
Teeth whitening treatments enable patients to enjoy a bright white smile and appreciate a brand-new look! At our Prattville practice, one of the top priorities is ensuring our patients are confident in their smiles and that we do everything in our power to help you along your smile journey. Give our office a call today at 334-366-8318 so we can treat you to a free consultation and talk about teeth whitening.