Having a dazzling smile is something that many of us seek to achieve.
Lots of people have smile makeovers to improve the attractiveness of their teeth and to feel better about themselves. But many patients remain unaware of some of the other social and lifestyle benefits of good teeth. A recent study done by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry has found a host of other – sometimes surprising – benefits to a great smile.
As you might expect, a great smile bestows many social advantages – and, conversely, a poor smile is detrimental. 84% of Americans ages 18 to 50 see an attractive smile as an important feature. Likewise, the vast majority of people surveyed, 85%, say that a person’s smile is very or somewhat important when meeting someone for the first time. Not surprisingly 9 out of 10 people surveyed also said that people with a good smile are more attractive and appear more intelligent and professional.
Over time it’s natural for teeth to become discolored and stained from all sorts of things such as drinking tea, coffee and red wine, or from the foods we eat. Teeth can also become stained by smoking or chewing tobacco.
Brightening your smile is as easy as visiting your dentist for a whitening treatment, or purchasing one of the many at-home treatment options available.
Often people want to know about the difference between typical DIY treatments at home versus the treatment provided by a professional. So here’s a quick, simple breakdown of the facts:
What Is It?
Your teeth can become discolored by stains on the surface or by changes inside the tooth. There are three main types of tooth discoloration:
- Extrinsic — This occurs when the outer layer of the tooth (the enamel) is stained. Coffee, wine, cola or other drinks or foods can stain teeth. Smoking also causes extrinsic stains.
- Intrinsic — This is when the inner structure of the tooth (the dentin) darkens or gets a yellow tint. You can get this type of discoloration from things like trauma that affected a tooth, or over-exposure to fluoride during early childhood. It may even be from a genetic disorder called dentinogenesis imperfecta. This causes gray, amber or purple discolorations.
- Age-related — This type of discoloration is a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. As we age, dentin naturally yellows over time. The enamel that covers our teeth gets thinner as we get older, which allows the dentin to show through. Foods and smoking also can stain teeth as people get older. Finally, chips or other injuries can discolor a tooth, especially when the pulp has been damaged.
Many extrinsic stains caused by food and drink can be removed by regular professional cleanings and good home care. Good home care includes brushing, flossing and rinsing after meals.
Discoloration often can be removed by applying a bleaching agent to the tooth enamel. One technique is called “power bleaching.” With this method, the dentist applies a light-activated bleaching gel. It causes the teeth to get significantly whiter in about 30 to 45 minutes. We offer this type of treatment with our Phillips Zoom! treatment which produces wonderful results. Sometimes follow-up treatments may be needed to get the type of smile you are looking for, but there are also take-home bleaching trays that give you the flexibility to do-it-yourself.
It’s also possible to remove discoloration at home using over the counter products from your local grocer or drug store. For example, there are several bleaching gels, like RapidEffect or Plus White Premier, which can also be quite effective. The bleaching gels designed for use at home aren’t as strong as those applied by a dentist, but they also tend to cost much less. However, this means that the process takes longer — sometimes as long as three to five weeks.
You also can buy whitening products, like whitening strips, over the counter. The main difference is that these products contain a much weaker bleach than the products you can get from your dentist and tend to require a much longer time frame in order to produce good results. The whitening agent is applied as a gel placed in a mouthpiece or as a strip that sticks to your teeth. One of the issues with over-the-counter mouthpieces is that the fit tends to be less secure than the kind you get from a dentist and the effects can be inconsistent.
There are also many whitening toothpastes which can remove minor stains. They can be good for steady maintenance of an already bright smile, but they do not actually change the overall color of your teeth.
If you happen to have a tooth that has darkened after due to a root canal or some type of tooth trauma, bleaching the enamel won’t help. This type of tooth discoloration (intrinsic) is an internal staining. In such instances, a dentist can apply a bleaching material to the inside of the tooth, or you may consider a crown or veneer.
Also, bleaching will not lighten some stains, such as tetracycline stains as discussed earlier. In this case, a dentist may recommend covering the discolored areas with a color-matched composite bonding material. Another option is to get veneers. A tooth can be covered with thin ceramic shells that shield the outer surfaces of the teeth. This also may be useful when the tooth is chipped or badly damaged.
So When To Call a Professional
The truth is that tooth discoloration is mainly a cosmetic problem. If you are unhappy with how your teeth look you should really call a dentist and set up an appointment to perform a detailed evaluation and to help set up a plan of treatment.
Finally, when dealing with discolorations in the teeth of children, it is highly-recommended that you immediately seek the assistance of a dentist who can perform an in-depth evaluation as some of these discolorations can be indicators of more critical health concerns.
If you’d like to schedule an appointment, contact us at our office located in the Stanley Park Professional Building in Overland Park at (913) 681-8668.
We look forward to having the opportunity to be your Overland Park family dentist.
