Parental dental tips

Teeth whitening is carried out to restore your white dental colour. Teeth discolouration occurs for various reasons:

• You have poor oral hygiene practices
• Something you consume is causing teeth discolouration
• You have a health condition that causes teeth discolouration
• You have a dental condition that has led to teeth discolouration

If you have discoloured teeth, you might have already noticed that you may have started avoiding smiling and people in general; this can affect you emotionally and mentally. Here are some important things to note about teeth whitening:

Do Not Self-Treat

You might be tempted to buy over-the-counter teeth whitening products recommended by a friend or relative. Avoid this because you might not be among the lucky who get away with successfully whitening their teeth. Plenty can go wrong, including causing irreversible damage; this means you will lose the teeth affected. If you need to buy teeth whitening products, ensure that they have been prescribed by a qualified and licensed teeth whitening dentist.

What Happens When You Visit a Teeth Whitening Dentist?

The dentist examines you and carries out different tests to find out why your teeth are discoloured; this is a crucial stage in treating your condition effectively.

With the correct diagnosis, the dentist avoids treatments that can cause more harm to your teeth; this is what most people do not know. A good example is if your tooth discolouration is caused by a genetic condition that weakens your teeth. If you apply harsh teeth whitening gels, especially those not prescribed by a dentist, you may end up damaging your teeth. After a diagnosis, your dentist can avoid such outcomes by prescribing a mild teeth whitening product or recommending a different teeth whitening treatment.

Types of Teeth Whitening Procedures

1. Teeth cleaning

This is done for minor teeth discolouration, which can be removed by regular teeth cleaning. Your dentist will inform you whether teeth cleaning will be effective for your teeth discolouration.

2. Teeth whitening products/gels

Teeth whitening gels are prescribed if your tooth discolouration is located within the first layer of your tooth (enamel), but not too deep. Dentists may also be required to check whether teeth whitening gels might make things worse.

3. Veneers

This is a more complex procedure that involves the use of dental crowns. The dentist may need to strip out part of your enamel to create room for a dental crown; this is done for each discoloured tooth.

4. Bonding

Bonding is somewhat similar to veneers, but instead of your enamel being stripped, the surface of your teeth is roughened, and then a white tooth cover is attached to hide the discolouration.

To learn more about teeth whitening, talk to a dentist.