We all know that one of the most painful experiences is a toothache.  How could you possibly handle having to make your teeth white again if the process is painful?  The most important thing to consider when you thinking about the pain involved in whitening teeth is ‘How sensitive are your teeth?’ Those of you who have very sensitive teeth can expect to experience pain or discomfort from the whitening procedure!

Years ago the procedure and methods used to whiten teeth were painful for many patients.  Advancements in technology and experimentations in the dental industry have produced new methods and procedures which are relatively pain free for the teeth whitening procedure!

Should you experience any extra sensitivity or discomfort after having your teeth whitened; it should not last for longer than forty eight hours!  There have been reports of greater discomfort when the practitioner has not been cautious about covering the gum area correctly; therefore the gums become exposed to the chemicals used in the procedure which can cause pain as well.

Remember that although teeth whitening are not a painful procedure, whether you choose to visit your dental practitioner or use products available online or at your local supermarket, you should not perform this procedure more often than advised by the professionals.  Teeth whitening does cause harm to the teeth and gums when the chemicals used in the procedure are used too often.  Repeatedly performing the whitening procedure will cause pain.

Read the instructions carefully and listen to your dentist, and you will not experience any pain when you have your teeth whitened!  Contact us today for a pain free teeth whitening procedure!

Have you noticed that no matter how often you brush and floss, your teeth still look yellow?  There are a variety of causes for this!  Many people believe that smoking is the only cause of yellow teeth; this is not true, although the nicotine does cause teeth to turn yellow, and non-smokers can also have yellow teeth over a period of time.

The inner core of the tooth is a yellow color; the white is the enamel that covers the core.  With some or all of the listed attributes, the enamel wears away and the yellow core becomes visible.

The most common causes of yellow teeth include diet and smoking.  The various foods and drinks we consume on a daily basis contribute to yellow teeth.  Tea, coffee, sodas, wine and other foods which are dark in color all stain the enamel on the teeth contributing to the yellow shade.  Apart from avoiding all food groups which are dark in color as well as all drinks with caffeine, the only way to prolong the process of yellowing teeth from food and drink would be to rinse your mouth out thoroughly or brush your teeth after every meal.

Tobacco and nicotine do cause the teeth to go yellow, although this is not the only cause, as a smoker you should ensure that you visit your dentist on a regular basis for a full cleaning and possibly bleaching to return that sparkling smile to your dial!

Traumatic experiences could also cause yellow teeth, especially if in your childhood formative years; you experienced a trauma and have been battling with yellow teeth since!  The traumatic experience could disrupt the formation of enamel in the young child, which would cause greater discoloration and yellow teeth in adulthood.

Genetics also play a part in the level of yellow teeth you are subjected to, perhaps your genetic makeup is to have very thick enamel on your teeth, so even if you do smoke or eat and drink very dark food groups, you will not have a problem with yellow teeth compared to someone who does not have the same genetic makeup and has a thinner enamel!

Older dental fillings which were done with silver sulfide can make the tooth that has this filling appear gray or black.  Dental hygiene also contributes to yellow teeth!  If you do not brush your teeth a minimum of twice a day and floss at least once a day, eventually the buildup of plaque forms a yellow tartar on the teeth and the teeth look yellow!  It is very important to brush and floss daily for healthy white teeth!

Disease and medications also contribute to yellow teeth.  There are some diseases that eat away at the enamel of the teeth, revealing the naturally yellow dentine which is the inner core of the teeth.  Some medications also cause the enamel on the teeth to weaken or to discolor the teeth, making the teeth look yellow.

Lastly, your age!  The older you get, the less enamel you have on your teeth as it erodes with the passing years, and therefore it is rather common that older people do have yellow teeth!

Now that you know what has caused your yellow teeth, contact us so that we can help you restore your smile to the beautiful white smile that bedazzles!

After having extensive dental work done such as dental bridges or crowns your dentist would have given you some advice on the best way to care for the new teeth.  After years of having your dental bridge or crown you could find that there is discoloration.  Due to all the normal reasons for teeth turning yellow, you might feel that it is necessary to have your dental bridge or crown whitened again.

Dental bridges and crowns are normally made from porcelain.  At the time of having your bridge or crown made your dentist will attempt to match the shade of the surrounding teeth so that the new tooth is not as noticeable, because of this it is advisable to have your other teeth whitened before having the bridge or crown made.

Should your bridge or crown become discolored, using normal whitening products or procedures will not work as the teeth which form part of the bridge or crown are not coated with enamel like your other teeth.

There are two ways in which you can regain the white crown or bridge; both of these procedures are only done by dental practitioners.  The first option you have is to have your dental hygienist perform a general cleaning of your teeth; this procedure is able to remove any stains which might have developed on your crown or bridge work.

If you have had a dental cleaning procedure and you still feel that your crown or bridge is yellow compared to your other teeth, you can ask your dentist to replace your bridge or crown with a new one which is lighter in shade, this would then make the new bridge or crown blend in better with your normal teeth.

Having dental bridges and crowns does not mean that you have to settle for teeth that are dull.  The best way to ensure that your bridge or crown does not stand out like a sore thumb, and that you have the white teeth you want to have is to have your dentist whiten your teeth before matching coloring for your bridge or crown.

Have your bridge or crown work cleaned by a professional dental practitioner and your smile will bedazzle again!

Teeth Whitening Specialists vs Home Teeth Whitening

Using Teeth Whitening Specialists to whiten your teeth has proven to greatly increase self confidence and sociability amongst people surveyed.

Teeth Whitening Specialists are also able to monitor the bleaching and whitening process and advise on alternatives when side effects occur.

Cosmetic dentists may perform any of the following whitening procedures:

• Bleaching – this is a process identical to the teeth whitening tray home treatment.  A mould of the teeth is taken and a whitening gel is placed into the mould which is then applied and secured back onto the teeth for a specified period of time.  Although this process is highly effective, it is time consuming and often requires multiple dental appointments.

• Cleaning – This is the most common procedure, where the dental expert uses a combination of fluoride and peroxide to clean the teeth with high pressure air or water, this simply causes an abrasive action which forces all debris to dislodge from the cracks and crevices in the enamel of the tooth.  This process is effective, although without a maintenance plan at home, you would need to visit the dentist regularly to maintain those dazzling white teeth.

• Laser – This is where a whitening gel is applied to the teeth with a pen like apparatus, and then a light (LED) activates the gel and causes it to react to the debris causing the stain.  This procedure only requires one dental visitation and is not as lengthy as bleaching.

Once you have had a specialist perform a whitening treatment and you have discussed an effective maintenance procedure, you will be able to keep your smile white and bright for a much longer period of time than before where you would have to make a new dental appointment within six to eight months to maintain that beautiful white smile!

Whether you choose a home treatment or to use a Teeth Whitening Specialist and a home maintenance plan,being embarrassed about your smile is not an option! You only live once.

Go on, choose a treatment plan and implement it, within months at the most a year, you will be radiating confidence with your million dollar smile.

The Pros and Cons of Home Teeth Whitening treatments

Home treatment plans for teeth whitening have become very popular! You desire a bright white dazzling smile, but you do not have the time to spare for dental appointments and you know that home treatment plans are effective and cheaper, but is cheaper a better option?
The various home treatment plans differ in four main areas namely:

• How easy is it to use the product

• How much does the treatment plan cost

• How much time does it take to perform the steps for the treatment plan

• How long does it take before results will be noticeable

Once you have done the necessary research into the products you are considering and chosen the product that you feel suits your needs the best, there are a few other considerations you need to ponder.

As with any procedure and choice there are a variety of options and a variety of disadvantages, the most common disadvantages reported from home treatments for teeth whitening plans include:

• Sensitive and /or irritated teeth and gums – this occurs as a reaction to the bleaching chemicals in the whitening products, this will normally subside within a few days, but should the discomfort continue you will need to consult your dentist and possibly change your treatment plan completely.

• Discomfort from the teeth whitening trays – this is normally caused when a pre-molded tray is used or the tray was not molded correctly for your teeth at the first use, you will need to consult with your dentist so that he can adjust the tray to suit your teeth.

Studies show that only 78% of home treatments are effective – we advise that you consult with your dentist before you begin a home treatment plan for teeth whitening as the level of discoloration as well as the type of treatment plan you have in mind do play large roles in the effectiveness of the treatment. People who have had dental procedures previously also find that the effectiveness of a home treatment plan is lower than those who have not had any dental procedures before.

Once you have started your treatment plan, it is important that you continue with a maintenance plan. Many people make the mistake of performing the teeth whitening treatment procedures for the allotted time recommended on the specific product, and then leave the whole process till they notice that their teeth are looking dull and yellow again! For long lasting results it’s advisable to have a maintenance plan.
Other ways to ensure that your teeth whitening procedure lasts longer than a month or two include:

• Limit your consumption of dark colored foods like coffee, tea, red wine, alcohol and tobacco.

• Rinse your mouth out thoroughly after each meal.

• Increase your water intake

As with any other procedures, it is important to discuss your plan of action as well as your maintenance plans with teeth whitening specialists, this not only gives you peace of mind as he will know whether the treatment you planning on using is going to be effective for you as an individual but you will also be able to hear an expert’s opinion on the other options available.

Choosing a teeth whitening treatment plan

With all the different types of treatment plans available, it is understandable that you could be confused about which one to start with! You need to remember that your teeth whitening treatment plan is not a short term plan, once you have started treatment you will only see results and continue to see results if you continue the plan, should you stop the treatment plan for any reason, you will have to restart it again from the beginning within a few months’ time.

Depending on the type of treatment plan you choose to use, your teeth whitening treatment plan is going to be at least a weekly appointment, with this in mind, it is important that you consider how much time and money you have available to dedicate to your plan.

Perhaps you do have a few minutes each day or an hour each week that you can dedicate to your teeth whitening treatment plan, but you do not have any cash that you can allocate to your plan, don’t worry you do have other options available to you which might take a little longer, but will still give you results. These include things like baking soda mixed with a little vinegar and applied to the teeth for a few minutes a day or fresh strawberries rubbed across the teeth or mashed up and applied to the teeth for a few minutes each day. Another home remedy to whiter teeth is to take the peel of a citrus fruit such as an orange and rub it across the teeth.

There are a lot of products available, choosing the right product for your treatment plan could be left to trial and error, although this could land up being a very costly way of finding the most effective treatment plan, or you could book an appointment with your teeth whitening specialists and ask them for their advice based on the extent of discoloration, type of teeth you have and your financial status. One dentist visit to examine your teeth and give you advice will be cheaper than trying each product in turn!

For fast results you could choose to have some laser whitening done or you could have your cosmetic dentist give you a whitening treatment or two.

When you ready to embark on your whitening treatment, it would be best for you to book an appointment with your dentist and let them advise you on the most cost effective treatment plan for your individual circumstances.

Issues to Consider with Teeth Whitening

Help! I need a smile to dazzle!

Your smile is a contagious gift and you want that smile to be bright and beautiful. Your teeth lose their whiteness and your smile loses its dazzle with excessive consumption of products like coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco, as well as age. A white, bright smile also gives you confidence! How is it possible to ever smile again now that age and products have taken your bright smile away?

Take action and begin a teeth whitening treatment program!

There are a variety of different treatments available; all of them will give you back your bright, white smile! All you need to do is find the treatment that suits your level of discoloration and your lifestyle and begin your teeth whitening journey, within months you will be able to dazzle everyone again!

There are two main levels of discoloration, the first is intrinsic, this is where the teeth have been discolored down to the yellow centre of the tooth, and although a teeth whitening treatment program for home use will repair the discoloration, many choose to visit their cosmetic dentist first and have their teeth whitened in the chair as the results are a lot quicker.
The second level of discoloration is extrinsic, this is where the outer enamel of the tooth has become yellow, and this can be treated easily at home.

When choosing your teeth whitening kit you need to consider how quickly you want to see results. There are teeth whitening trays, teeth whitening gels, teeth whitening pens, whitening toothpastes, and whitening strips. All of these products are designed for teeth whitening treatments at home and come with easy to understand instructions as well as easy to use applicators.

The teeth whitening gels, pens and strips are all applied to the problem areas for a few minutes each day before regular brushing. The teeth whitening tray is a mould which has the peroxide chemical combination necessary for whitening inside, this is held under warm water for a few minutes and then placed into the mouth and pressed up against the teeth firmly. A teeth whitening gel can be used in conjunction to a teeth whitening tray treatment as well.

Teeth whitening toothpaste is used after each treatment and then on a daily basis to keep those pearly whites looking pearly white!

Side effects of teeth whitening may be experienced in sensitivity and irritation, should the discomfort not subside within a week, you will need to consult your dentist.

With such a wide variety of products readily available, you can go out and find one that suits you best, and have your dazzling smile back within weeks!