Teeth Whitening
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Beautiful Smiles Dental
Zaihly Azar Santana, DDS
Dentist located in San Diego, National City, CA
Good brushing routines and regular dental cleanings can go a long way toward helping you have a great-looking smile, but they aren’t always enough to get rid of stains and superficial discoloration caused by foods, tobacco, and other issues. As a top-rated San Diego cosmetic dentist, Dr. Zaihly Azar helps patients banish ugly stains and brighten discolored teeth with state-of-the-art professional teeth whitening treatments. Unlike drugstore products, Dr. Azar’s teeth whitening treatments use professional-strength agents and special application methods to ensure consistent and long-lasting results. Schedule an office visit at Beautiful Smiles Dental to learn more.
Teeth Whitening Q & A
What makes teeth look stained, yellowed, and dingy?
Several factors can contribute to stained, dingy, yellowed teeth. Poor oral hygiene habits, like not brushing and flossing regularly and not having regular professional cleanings can allow surface stains to build up, making your smile look dirty and dull. Consuming foods and drinks like coffee, tea, red wine, tomato sauce, or dark-colored berries, spices like curry or turmeric, or foods with added natural or artificial colors can also cause staining, and so can tobacco products. Foods with high acid contents like fruit juices and soda can cause your tooth enamel to become soft temporarily, making it easier for these stains to “set in.” These superficial stains can be eliminated with professional teeth whitening. Some stains occur in the central portion of your teeth as a result of decay or other tooth damage, or from long-term use of some types of medicines. These stains need to be “covered” with veneers, lumineers, or crowns.
How does professional teeth whitening work?
There are two main types of professional whitening treatments: in-office treatments and take-home kits. Both use professional-strength whitening agents to penetrate the tooth surface and lift away stains, leaving your teeth whiter, brighter, and healthier looking. In-office treatments only take about an hour and use a special gel and a light to activate the gel so it penetrates better. During treatment, you’ll wear a special guard to hold your lips back so the light can reach all the tooth surfaces. The gel is applied to each tooth, and may be applied more than once during the 1-hour treatment. Take-home kits use special trays and take 10 days to achieve optimal results, and you’ll need to wear the trays every day for a certain period of time. Your trays will be custom made to fit your mouth to ensure consistent, top-quality results.
What makes professional teeth whitening better than the bleaching products I can buy at the store?
Professional teeth whitening uses stronger whitening agents developed specifically for use by dentists, so you can achieve superior results. Plus, both in-office and take-home treatments use custom application methods to ensure more consistent results, even in the areas where your teeth meet. Plus, professional whitening is preceded by an examination of your teeth to look for tiny cracks or chips that can increase the risk of tooth sensitivity.
Will teeth whitening make my teeth permanently sensitive?
No. You might have some mild sensitivity during treatment, but this resolves soon after your treatment ends.
