Over time, you may notice your teeth begin to turn from their natural, white color due to stains or discoloration. When this happens, your smile can be greatly affected, something that can make you feel embarrassed every time you smile. However, tooth whitening can offer you an effective solution. At Gwinnett Dental Implant & Periodontal Center, we offer a wide range of teeth whitening treatments, which help to fix your cosmetic flaws, giving you back your smile.
Reasons for Tooth Discoloration
Tooth discoloration can be caused by several factors, including:
Staining Beverages
Consuming staining beverages – the main cause of tooth discoloration is the regular consumption of red wine, coffee, and tea. These drinks contain color pigments that very easily stick to or penetrate the surface of your tooth, causing discoloration.
Medication
Medication - some of the antibiotics and antihistamines that are prescribed to you by your physician can cause the discoloration of your teeth. Tooth discoloration can also occur flowing radiation treatment for cancer.
Cigarettes/Tobacco
Smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco - the two substances found in tobacco, nicotine, and tar can cause major discoloration of your teeth. Tar is naturally dark and easily stains while nicotine forms a yellow substance which stains the surface as well.
Aging
The effects of aging - your enamel is eroded over time, which makes it easier for staining agents to penetrate the inner surface of your teeth. The exposure of the dentin – the inner layer of your tooth surface – also causes your teeth to change color.
Injury
An injury to your teeth – following a dental injury that affects your mouth, the living part, dentin will automatically stimulate a response to the injury, which can make your tooth appear darker.
The Tooth Whitening Treatment Process
There are several treatments that are used for tooth whitening. Bleaching is the most popular treatment, where a bleaching agent is applied on the surface of the teeth. The bleaching agent gets rid of the tooth discoloration by oxidizing the stains, thus making them appear invisible. Different agents are used depending on the level of staining – stronger agents are used when the discoloration is deep. During the bleaching process, laser treatment can also be used to activate the whitening agent, thus making the treatment faster and more effective.
The tooth whitening process is a simple one, which is usually carried out in a single sitting. However, additional appointments might be required in the future, since the whitening results are not permanent and your teeth will still be prone to discoloration over time.
Making Your Teeth Whitening Results Last Longer
As already mentioned, teeth whitening is not permanent, and over time, your teeth can still become discolored again. However, it is possible to maintain the results of your whitening treatment for a longer period. You can do this by:
| • | Practicing proper oral hygiene - discoloration from drinks happen when you fail to properly clean your teeth regularly, thus allowing the stains to stick to your teeth, or penetrate to the inner surface. |
| • | Avoiding staining substances – avoiding substances such as coffee, red wine, tea, cigarettes, and tobacco is a sure way of reducing the discoloration of your teeth. |
Are your teeth discolored? Get back your natural appearance and smile today using teeth whitening treatments from Gwinnett Dental Implant & Periodontal Center. Call us at (470) 222-8983 to schedule an appointment.