People choose to professionally whiten their teeth when their teeth have accrued stains over time that a regular cleaning at the dentist office or home care habits won’t remove. Some patients may have tried take-home teeth whitening kits with mediocre results.

If you’re considering a teeth whitening procedure or have just gotten one done, you may be wondering just how long a professional teeth whitening lasts. Here’s what you should know when professionally whitening your smile!

How Long You Can Expect a Professional Whitening to Last

You can expect a professional teeth whitening to last for about two years up to ten years. It’s important to remember that the results will vary from person to person.

For example, people who neglect to take care of their teeth and consume heavy-staining foods and drinks can see their professional whitening fade in as little as a few weeks [1]. However, people who take care of their smiles can see their results last for years.

Lifestyle Habits That Can Prematurely Stain Your Smile

People who drink coffee, wine, or tea are more at risk to see their dazzling smile become dull and stained faster than those who don’t [2]. Foods that can stain your newly white smile can include tomatoes, berries, soy sauce, and potent spices such as turmeric.

In addition, people who smoke will see their white teeth rapidly deteriorate compared to those who don’t smoke or use tobacco products.

People who don’t visit their dentist will also see their smile prematurely stain. Your dentist
removes surface stains during your teeth cleaning to keep your smile white. When you neglect to visit the dentist, even the best home care habits can’t keep a smile white forever.

What Can You Do to Extend the Life of Your Bright Smile?

Just because you’ve gotten a professional teeth whitening doesn’t mean your teeth are now immune to stains. In fact, it’s more important to protect your smile now than before your whitening procedure to prolong the results!

Of course, avoiding all the foods and drinks that can stain your teeth is often out of the
question. So what can you do to prolong your professional teeth whitening?

First, visit your dentist for regular cleanings at least once a year but preferably every six months [3]. Your dentist will remove stains and can make touch-ups to keep your smile white over time. You can also drink water while consuming teeth-staining foods and drinks.

For example, when sipping a glass of wine, sip water too. When enjoying pasta with sauce, drink water with your meal. This will not only keep you hydrated—which is important for your smile also—but will help minimize tooth staining.

Although a professional teeth whitening doesn’t last forever, it can last a very long time with the right care. Ask your dentist how you can better care for your teeth after a whitening procedure and if whitening your teeth can help remove stains for a brighter you!

Sources:
1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/teeth-whitening/faqs
2. https://www.ada.org/sitecore/content/home-mouthhealthy/nutrition/food-tips/9-foods-that-damage-your-teeth
3. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/dental-care-concerns/questions-about-going-to-
the-dentist

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With so many people receiving a professional whitening treatment, it’s natural to wonder how this procedure affects your teeth and gums. For those who want a whiter smile and are considering teeth whitening, is this procedure harmful to your oral health?

Teeth Whitening Is Considered Safe and Effective

When done correctly, teeth whitening is considered to be a safe procedure [1]. Dentists have developed teeth whitening to be an effective treatment that poses minimal risk to teeth. While dentists use a higher concentration of the whitening agent than at-home bleaching kits, these are trained professionals who have done many teeth whitening procedures and know how to keep your smile protected during the entire whitening process.

Some of the minor risks for teeth whitening include temporary heightened tooth sensitivity following the procedure. If you already have sensitive teeth, it’s important to let your dentist know so that you can discuss what protective measures to take to ensure the safety of your smile.

Using Store-Bought Kits Is Riskier

If you’re using store-bought kits to whiten your teeth, the risk to your oral health is going to be higher than getting your teeth professionally whitened at the dentist office.

When using these kits, the whitening agent is more likely to come into contact with your gum tissue, which can cause gum irritation and inflammation. At the dentist office, your gums and the soft tissues of your mouth are fully protected before the whitening process begins.

There’s also the risk to overuse the kits and cause tooth sensitivity. Many people want a white smile for an upcoming event such as a graduation, a wedding, or a job interview. Unfortunately, many people to overuse the kits to accelerate the whitening process which can strip tooth enamel and cause permanent tooth sensitivity.

Professional Care Is Always Best

Your dentist will always take the utmost precautions to protect your teeth during your professional whitening procedure. When done by an experienced dentist, teeth whitening doesn’t pose any serious risks to your smile.

Most side effects—such as tooth sensitivity—are temporary and will last a few hours to a few days after your appointment. Any extreme pain or sensitivity you experience should be reported to your dentist so you can follow up.

Many dentists will even conduct a fluoride treatment following your whitening procedure to ensure that tooth sensitivity is kept to a minimum. Fluoride has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients who experience sensitivity following teeth whitening [2].

It’s also important to note that teeth whitening is not recommended for children by The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry [3].

Considering Teeth Whitening?

Proven to be safe for teeth, a professional teeth whitening isn’t harmful to your oral health. Like any procedure, it’s not without its risks; however, talking with your experienced oral healthcare professional about your teeth whitening procedure can help ensure that this is the best treatment for you based on your goals for your smile!

Source:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4058574/
2. https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6831-14-113
3. https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/whitening

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Tooth reshaping may be the right choice for people who want to subtly alter the appearance of their teeth but don’t need dramatic cosmetic work done. Here’s how dental contouring may be able to help you and what you can expect during your appointment.

Issues Dental Contouring Can Fix

Dental contouring is considered to be a cosmetic procedure, meaning it won’t be able to fix any major issues with your teeth. However, dental contouring can fix several cosmetic issues with your smile, including:

 Pointy or irregularly shaped teeth
 Visible chips in the teeth
 Teeth that overlap
 Uneven length of neighboring teeth

Tooth reshaping procedures are most often done on the upper front teeth such as your central incisors, lateral incisors, and sometimes the canines, as these teeth are seen the most when you smile.

How Dental Contouring Is Done

During your consultation for dental contouring, your dentist will want to take x-rays to evaluate your oral health to determine if tooth reshaping is the right procedure for you.

Tooth reshaping is used to fix smaller imperfections in the smile, so if you’re looking for more extensive work or dramatic results, this procedure might not be your best choice.

If you and your dentist decide to move forward with the procedure, you’ll discuss what teeth you want reshaped and why. During your actual appointment for dental contouring, your dentist will use tools to remove a small amount of tooth enamel to subtly change the shape, length, or appearance of one or more of your teeth.

The amount of enamel removed during this procedure is tiny, but even this miniscule amount can make a difference in the appearance of your teeth. Your dentist may also combine the procedure with tooth bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin to correct imperfections.

Finally, your dentist will polish the teeth so that everything looks uniform and normal for your new and improved smile!

Benefits of Tooth Reshaping

One of the best benefits of tooth reshaping is that the procedure is relatively quick and provides instantaneous results. You’ll be able to go home that same day and enjoy your new smile!

Another benefit of tooth reshaping is that it’s a painless procedure that doesn’t require anesthesia. As there aren’t any sensory nerves in your tooth enamel, you won’t feel any pain with the tiny amount of enamel that your dentist removes.

Dental contouring is considered to be a safe procedure that can solve numerous cosmetic issues with your smile that’s cost effective compared to other treatments!

Dental contouring provides an effective, fast solution for people who want minor things changed about their smile. You and your dentist can discuss if this procedure would be the best solution to make changes in your teeth to create a flawless smile. Contact your oral healthcare professional today to ask about dental contouring!

The post What Is Dental Contouring and How Does It Work? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

What should you expect during your Zoom! whitening procedure? This laser teeth whitening at
your dentist’s office is relatively quick and simple, making whiter teeth possible in just one
appointment. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to Zoom! teeth whitening.

Before the Procedure

In order to prepare for your Zoom! teeth whitening, most dentists suggest getting a
professional dental cleaning beforehand. Getting your teeth professionally cleaned can help
remove surface stains and enhance the effectiveness and intensity of your teeth whitening.

During your cleaning, you and your dentist can also discuss the shade of white you’d like for
your upcoming whitening procedure. From movie-star white to a subtle but noticeable
difference, your dentist can customize your Zoom! teeth whitening to ensure your smile looks
just how you imagined.

During Your Zoom! Teeth Whitening

Zoom! teeth whitening is an in-office procedure that takes approximately one hour to
complete. The actual time may range from 45 minutes to just a little over one hour.

Before the actual whitening process begins, your dentist will make every effort to protect your
gums from the whitening agent; this means painting a protective material over your gums while
leaving your teeth exposed and ready to be whitened.

Then, the Zoom! teeth whitening material is applied on your teeth and you wear a special pair
of sunglasses to protect your eyes from the laser. Then, the laser is set on your teeth for about
three to four 15-minute sessions.

During this time, you may experience small sensations of sensitivity; these are temporary and
your dentist may apply a fluoride treatment immediately after the procedure to protect against
tooth sensitivity immediately following the procedure.

Immediately Following Your Appointment

Once your whitening process is complete, your mouth will be rinsed out and you can see your
beautiful new smile. Your dentist will also provide you with supplemental take-home trays of
the Zoom! whitening agent to help prolong the beautiful shade of white as time goes on.

In addition, your dentist will advise you to avoid certain foods and drinks for approximately two
days following the procedure—these typically include drinks such as red wine or cola and foods
such as chocolate and tomato sauce. Also, no smoking!

To keep your teeth as white as possible for as long as possible, it’s imperative to keep up with
your oral hygiene, which includes visiting your dentist for checkups. You can protect your
investment in your white teeth with regular professional cleanings in addition to at-home care.

Zoom! professional teeth whitening allows patients to have a bright white smile in as little as 45
minutes at your local dentist’s office. When you want white teeth without the hassle of take-
home options, ask your dentist about Zoom! teeth whitening!

The post What to Expect During Your Zoom! Teeth Whitening Procedure appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

The causes of tooth discoloration are numerous and may be influenced by an internal or
external factor. Here, we’ll see how tooth enamel can be influenced by several elements to
make your teeth turn an unattractive yellow color.

Certain Foods

One external factor affecting tooth color is certain foods and drinks. Tooth enamel is porous
and can easily be stained, although fortunately, many of these stains are just on the surface and can be removed through regular brushings and professional teeth cleanings.

Coffee, tea, and wine are the worst offenders for making teeth turn a yellow or brownish color, but in truth, any food that has a deep hue has the potential to stain your teeth. These surprising tooth stainers include berries, beets, and tomatoes.

Acidic foods and drinks are also culprits when it comes to staining teeth. The acid in foods such as lemons and drinks such as soda can wear away the tooth enamel, making it easier for staining to occur and also allowing the yellowish color of your dentin—the softer layer beneath your tooth enamel—to come through.

Not Getting Professional Cleanings

Since professional cleanings can remove most surface stains, skipping those dental
appointments can cause buildup of stains and plaque which can result in teeth appearing more yellow. In addition, if you’re not brushing and flossing regularly at home, you’re allowing your teeth to accumulate more stains, plaque, and bacteria that can affect your tooth color.

Getting a professional teeth cleaning at least once a year or as recommended by your dentist can help prevent the build-up of surface stains to prevent your teeth from turning yellow. If you have deeper stains, you dentist may suggest a professional whitening to help remove them.

Antibiotics During Tooth Formation

Your tooth discoloration may be coming from an internal source—for instance, when the dentin turns a brownish yellow color. This typically happens in children who take antibiotics while their teeth are still developing, namely the antibiotics tetracycline or doxycycline.

If you had antibiotics younger than age 8, you may have teeth that are naturally darker. In
addition, women who take antibiotics during their second trimester of pregnancy and later can cause their child to have discolored or darker teeth.

Genetics

Genetics may also affect your tooth color. You may naturally have tooth enamel that’s thinner, which can allow the dentin to show through. This can not only make for weaker teeth that are susceptible to sensitivity and decay, but can also cause teeth to have a yellower appearance.

People who have naturally thicker and stronger tooth enamel may have brighter and healthier teeth. Since tooth enamel can be affected by oral care habits and the foods we eat, genetics is only partially responsible in many cases. Your dentist can help you have a stronger, whiter smile!

Are you worried about your teeth turning yellow? When teeth begin to take on a more
yellowish appearance, it’s time to seek professional help. Contact your dentist today to learn how you can make teeth appear brighter and whiter in just a few simple steps!

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Here’s how you can best protect your teeth and have a beautiful smile this holiday season!

Make Friends with Water

Water is going to be your ally throughout the holiday season. Staying hydrated not only helps your body, but can help your smile immensely. Adequate water intake ensures that your oral bacteria are balanced, therefore cutting down on your risk for cavities.

Water also acts as a buffer between teeth and harmful substances you may have eaten, such as sugar. Combine this with the fact that water can help replenish your saliva and fight bad breath and you just made a new best friend to help you and your beautiful smile make it through the holidays.

Be Aware of Bruxism

The holidays aren’t a happy time for everyone. In fact, they can be quite stressful for some people. Increased stress that’s not being managed could turn into an oral health problem through bruxism, which is the term for teeth grinding.

Teeth grinding is immensely damaging to your smile. It wears away enamel, can cause
inflammation in the gums, and could eventually lead to tooth loss if not treated. Be mindful of your stress load this holiday season. If you’re experiencing headaches, jaw pain, or tooth sensitivity, you could be grinding your teeth and not even know it!

Be Ready to Travel

If you’ll be traveling to see friends or family this holiday season, be sure to pack everything you need to properly care for your teeth. It can be easy to leave behind your toothbrush, floss, or mouthguards for your bruxism.

To ensure you’re ready to travel, keep a spare toothbrush in your suitcase or in your handbag. Floss is small and can easily travel with you, making it ideal to store practically anywhere. Having spares on hand can help you be ready to care for your teeth despite the stress of traveling.

Watch Your Sugar Intake

There are few things that are as damaging to your smile as sugar is, and unfortunately, the holidays tend to be full of sweets! It’s important to watch your sugar intake, as sugar is best consumed only minimally or not at all. If you do choose to enjoy sweets this holiday season, be sure to rinse your mouth with water afterward and wait at least 30 minutes to brush.

This holiday season, you want to be able to show friends and family your most beautiful smile possible. You can help protect your smile throughout the season by drinking plenty of water, keeping an extra toothbrush on hand, consuming sugar in moderation, and being aware of any symptoms of bruxism. Happy Holidays!

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Tooth enamel is actually porous. Over time, our teeth can get stained. This happens for a few
reasons, lack of proper dental care and eating habits among them.
What eating habits will lead to tooth discoloration? Here are some foods you might want to
watch out for and what you can do.

The Top Staining Foods

All foods have the potential to contribute to your teeth staining if you aren’t brushing your
teeth. However, there are a few that will cause more staining than others, especially if you’re
not drinking water or brushing afterwards.

These include foods like tomatoes (especially in pasta sauce), berries, and strong spices. Any
berry has the potential to stain your teeth. Particularly potent ones include blueberries,
blackberries, and cranberries. Spices such as curry and turmeric can also cause your teeth to
have a yellow or brownish tinge.

Other foods that could stain include balsamic vinegar and candies that contain food dye.
The Top Beverages That Stain

In addition to eating habits, beverages can stain your teeth just as much if not more than
certain foods do. The biggest culprits are coffee, tea, and red wine. Regular consumption of all
of these beverages can majorly stain your smile over time. Even certain juices can discolor your
teeth—think cranberry or cherry juice.

Although some of these stains will be superficial and can be removed with a toothbrush, others
will go deeper and may need a professional whitening to correct. Your best and safest drink for
your smile is water, so it’s smart to consume all other beverages in moderation!

Getting Your Whitest Smile Possible

You don’t have to totally give up the foods you love to have a smile that you love too. Follow
these tips to get your whitest smile possible:

 Drink water. Drinking water while consuming teeth-staining foods or drinking beverages
that can stain will help. It minimizes the staining damage and rinses your mouth!

 Brush your teeth. It’s a bad idea to brush immediately after eating as it can harm tooth
enamel, so try to wait about a half hour. After this, gently brush your teeth to help
remove surface stains and stop any additional staining from setting in.

 Use a straw. Using a straw for beverages such as coffee and tea can help the drink to
bypass your teeth, therefore helping to cut down on stains.

 Visit your dentist. Your dentist can remove most surface stains through professional
cleanings, especially regular ones! You can also talk with your dentist about getting a
professional whitening to get rid of any deep stains you might have.

It’s easy to have a white smile when you properly care for your teeth!
Tooth staining is embarrassing and can cause people to hide their smiles even if they have
perfectly straight teeth. While there are certain foods and drinks that can cause staining, you
can help protect your smile with the right care. Drinking enough water, brushing your teeth,
and visiting your dentist can help you achieve your brightest smile!

The post What Eating Habits Can Lead to Tooth Discoloration? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Remove Deep Stains

At-home kits can’t take away stains that are below the surface level. Many people have deeper stains in their enamel which will require professional treatment to erase. When you try at-home kits, the best they can do is remove surface stains. This unfortunately still leaves the deeper stains on your teeth and may result in uneven whitening.

Protect Sensitive Teeth

If your teeth are sensitive, this is because some of your enamel has been damaged and is likely missing. This means parts of your teeth are exposed to extreme temperatures and may hurt or feel as though they’re stinging when you eat hot or cold foods. When you have sensitive teeth, getting a whitening is often challenging. This is because at-home kits may remove some of your enamel, especially if they’re not used as directed. When you want whiter teeth but also have sensitive teeth, a professional whitening is best. Your dentist can evaluate your tooth enamel and customize your whitening treatment to minimize any discomfort you’d experience after a traditional whitening.

Get Long-Lasting Results

Whitening kits often take some time to show results and also don’t last as long a professional whitening. The trays in over-the- counter kits are also not custom made for your smile, therefore increasing the chances that the whitening agent will irritate your gum tissue or result in uneven brightening throughout your smile. When you get a professional whitening with your dentist, you achieve long-lasting, effective results. When you’re able to remove deep stains and completely whiten your smile, you get a brighter, whiter smile with no damage!

Takes Less Time and Money

Although at-home kits are cheaper now, they take much longer to work. You’ll need to keep buying whitening kits to see the results you want over time. This leads to many people abusing the whitening kits to achieve a whiter smile, faster. Unfortunately, this can damage enamel and gum tissue when the kits are used this way.

A professional whitening takes significantly less time than the store-bought kits and will save you money over time. Most whitenings can be done in about an hour at your local dentist office. You’ll also not need to waste any more time or money on buying kits that produce subpar results. Get one professional whitening and see dramatic results in just an hour!

When you take advantage of professional whitening services through your dentist, you get results that at-home kits have trouble matching. You can remove deep stains, protect sensitive teeth, and save time and money with long-lasting results. Talk to your dentist about a professional whitening to get the bright smile you’ve been dreaming of!

The post Professional Teeth Whitening: The Ultimate Choice for a Brighter Smile appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Enamel Loss

One of the reasons enamel hypoplasia happens is due to enamel loss. The enamel is hard, protective layer over our teeth. When enamel is gone, it doesn’t come back. Enamel loss is fairly common and happens as a result of plaque, poor oral hygiene, and even conditions such as chronic dry mouth or acid reflux. Enamel loss usually results in sensitive teeth or tooth discoloration, so visit your dentist if you notice any change in your smile!

Demineralization of Teeth

Tooth enamel is made up of certain minerals. Too many of these minerals can cause white spots, but so can too few! For example, if you’re getting too much fluoride, this could cause your enamel to demineralize, meaning it will weaken and lose its ability to protect your teeth.

Fluoride in moderation can actually help strengthen enamel, but when consumed in excess, it can be damaging to your teeth. You may be getting fluoride both through your toothpaste and drinking water, so check your sources of fluoride to ensure you’re not getting too much.

Another important mineral for your smile is calcium. When too much calcium is present, it can weaken tooth enamel and lead to white spots. However, if you’re not getting enough calcium, the same effect can happen! Learn how much calcium you should be getting and aim for that amount.

Treatments

Fortunately, there are several treatments for enamel hypoplasia that can help improve the appearance of your white spots and protect your teeth! What can you do for those unsightly spots?

Microabrasion. For small areas, the microabrasion technique involves finely evening out the enamel on your teeth to improve the appearance of white spots.

Porcelain veneers. You may consider porcelain veneers if you have large areas of your teeth affected by enamel hypoplasia.

Take a closer look at your diet. Getting enough minerals to support healthy teeth is essential! Professional teeth whitening. Getting a professional whitening can help to mask the appearance of white spots!

Resin infiltration system. This technology helps to retain enamel and also improves the color of teeth by applying a resin material into the pores, which penetrates teeth and gets rid of those white spots. This method can also help reduce the risk of tooth decay!

Re-mineralization of teeth. Your dentist can recommend an in-office re-mineralization treatment or products you can use to help re-mineralize your enamel at home!

Visit your dentist to talk about those white spots on your teeth and what you can do to make them go away. Often, treatment is needed in order to prevent tooth decay and to ensure your mouth stays healthy. Talk to your dentist about enamel hypoplasia!

(Photo: Wikipedia Commons)

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Choose 100% Arabica Coffee

When choosing your coffee, always select coffee that’s made from 100% Arabica beans. You’d ideally want these beans to be dry-processed; this enables them to have less polyphenols that can stain your smile. Arabica coffee also tends to have less caffeine than other types, which means less jitters for you and a whiter smile—a win-win!

Don’t Sip All Day—Or Choose Smaller Serving Sizes

The exposure of your teeth to these polyphenols is what actually causes the staining, so it makes sense that the less time your teeth are exposed to coffee, the less staining you’ll experience. If you’re an all-day coffee drinker, you’re likely to experience the deeper staining that comes with coffee drinking!

Try to limit the amount of time your teeth are exposed to coffee—you can achieve this by limiting yourself to one or two cups in the morning, and then refraining from taking a to-go cup with you to work. You may also choose smaller serving sizes, such as having an espresso rather than a big cup of joe!

Drink with a Straw (Iced Coffee)

Drinking coffee with a straw allows the coffee to effectively bypass your teeth but still allows you to enjoy your favorite beverage. Although drinking hot coffee with a straw is usually not an option, this practice is perfect for iced coffee! You can also choose to enjoy your iced coffee with some milk, a practice that will also help prevent the polyphenols from staining your teeth. Consider opting for iced coffee more often, especially in these warmer months!

Try a French Press

How you brew your coffee can affect the polyphenol content of your morning beverage. If you use powdered coffee or very finely ground coffee, you could be exposing your smile to more of these stain-inducing molecules! Instead, try a French press. This method of brewing is relatively inexpensive—you’ll need to purchase a French press, some only cost $10-$12.

Many people find that using a French press allows more of the coffee’s natural flavor to come through. You’ll also save money on coffee filters and your smile won’t experience as much staining. This is because when using a French press, coarser coffee is used. Give it a try for a whiter smile!

If your teeth are severely stained from coffee, regular brushing may remove the superficial portion of the stains but won’t remove the deeper ones. A professional whitening with your dentist takes only an hour and can remove those unsightly coffee stains for good. After that, try these methods to prevent staining in the future and enjoy your coffee—with a white smile!

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