Get a brighter smile with teeth whitening!
Teeth whitening lightens teeth and helps to remove stains and discoloration. Teeth whitening is among the most popular cosmetic dental procedures, because it can greatly improve how your teeth look and is completely safe.
Why Do Teeth Get Discolored?
The outer layer of a tooth is called the enamel. The color of natural teeth is created by the reflection and scattering of light off the enamel, combined with the color of the dentin under it. Your genes affect the thickness and smoothness of the enamel. Thinner enamel allows more of the color of the dentin to show through. Having smoother or rougher enamel also affects the reflection of light and therefore the color.
The most common reasons for teeth to get yellow or stained are:
- Using tobacco.
- Drinking dark-colored liquids such as coffee, cola, tea, and red wine.
Aging makes teeth less bright as the enamel gets thinner and the dentin becomes darker.
It is also possible to have stains inside the tooth. These are called intrinsic stains. For example, intrinsic stains can be caused by exposure to too much fluoride as a child while teeth are developing. Other causes include tetracycline antibiotics -they can stain a child’s teeth if taken by a mother during the second half of pregnancy or by a child who is 8 years old or younger. Teeth are still developing during these years. Trauma may also darken a tooth.
When Teeth Whitening Doesn’t Work
Dental problems can affect the success of tooth whitening. For example, cavities need to be treated before teeth are whitened. That’s because the whitening solution can pass through decayed areas and reach the inner parts of the tooth. If your gums have receded, the exposed roots of your teeth may appear yellow or discolored. Whitening products will not make them whiter. Also, if you have crowns, veneers, fillings and bridges whitening them will not change the color.
Teeth Whitening Treatment in Boulder
Teeth whitening can be done in our Boulder dental office or at home. A protective barrier is placed on your gums, then the whitening gel and a specialized light activates the gel and allows bleaching to happen faster. This process can take up to 90 minutes in the office.
For whitening at home, your dental clinician will make trays to hold the whitening gel that fit your teeth precisely. Home whitening gel usually needs to be applied daily for two to three weeks.
At home, you will fill each mouthpiece with a whitening gel your dental clinician provides. You will wear the mouthpiece for several hours every day. Many people achieve the amount of whitening they want within a week or two. However, you may need to wear the mouthpiece for four weeks or longer.
To book a teeth whitening appointment, give our team a call at (303) 447-1042 or send us an email at patientcare@boulderdental.com.
