Santa Cruz Dentist: 4 Facts You Need to Know About Teeth Whitening

4 Facts You Need to Know About Teeth Whitening

Cosmetic dentistry is constantly growing, but teeth whitening is still one of the most popular procedures. Teeth whitening uses a brightening gel that removes organic stains from coffee, wine, tobacco and other stain-causing foods and drinks. If you want to see your teeth become shades whiter, check out these four facts you need to know about teeth whitening treatment from Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz.

You Can Effectively Whiten Your Teeth at Home

You don’t have to sit in the dentist chair to get whiter teeth. While a lot of the over-the-counter whitening products don’t work as well as in-office whitening, there is an at-home treatment that does. At Landmark Dental Group, you’ll get custom trays made to fit your exact bite. At home, you fill these trays with the whitening gel and wear them to reach your desired shade. The process takes longer than in-office whitening, but it is cheaper, as effective and convenient because you can do it on your schedule.

How Long You Wear the Trays Matters

Your results depend on how long you actually wear the trays. This includes how long you wear the trays each day and how many days you wear the trays. If you only wear them for a short period of time, your results won’t be great. With Landmark Dental Group’s teeth-whitening trays, you can wear the trays up to two times a day for 45 minutes or less. Your dentist will work with you to determine how long you should wear the trays to reach your desired results quickly.

Even Teeth Treated With Root Canal Therapy Can Be Whitened

If you’ve had root canal therapy, don’t worry. Even though the pulp has been removed from these teeth, they can still be whitened with tooth whitening. However, veneers, bridges and fillings cannot be whitened. If you want whiter teeth but have a veneer, bridge or tooth-colored filling, talk with your dentist about having it replaced to match your new tooth color. Landmark Dental Group offers porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns and tooth-colored fillings.

It’s Best to Start With a Healthy Smile

Having a white smile is important and can give your confidence a boost, but it isn’t the only thing that matters. Before you get your teeth whitened, make sure you have a healthy smile. If you have decay, damaged teeth or gum disease, work with your dentist on having those problems treated first. While tooth whitening is completely safe, if you have damage to your teeth or gums, the gel may cause pain when applied, especially if it can reach the nerves of the tooth. Once your teeth are healthy, you can focus on creating a bright, white smile.

Tooth whitening is one of the most popular dental cosmetic procedures because it is easy, inexpensive and effective. If you are tired of dingy, stained teeth, stop hiding your smile, and start making a change. Contact Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz today to learn more about tooth whitening.