When teeth become discolored or stained from years of use, you don’t have to just accept that your teeth now look that way. Instead, many people opt for professional teeth whitening procedures administered by skilled dentists, like our dentists at Bridge Creek Dental.
With whiter, brighter teeth, you can enjoy greater confidence and many other benefits. Also, if you have your teeth whitened professionally, you can have a safer and faster teeth whitening experience.
Why Have Your Teeth Whitened
Some people hesitate to whiten their teeth, believing that it is a matter of vanity only. But there are many reasons why you may want to whiten your teeth, such as:
- Boost your self-esteem
- Put your best smile forward while job hunting
- Combat the effects of aging
- Removed yellow appearance and everyday stains on teeth
- Have a bright smile for special occasions such as weddings, graduations, anniversaries, or other events
- Help your teeth appear more even
- Encourage better oral hygiene to maintain whitened teeth
If you decided that one or more of these benefits are something you want, the next step is to decide on how you want to whiten your teeth.
Ways To Whiten Your Teeth
There are three basic categories that teeth whitening products fall into: home remedies, over-the-counter kits, and professional whitening. Depending on which you choose, you will enjoy different levels of teeth whitening.
Teeth whitening home remedies
A quick internet search for teeth whitening home remedies will yield a wealth of results. Everything from oil pulling to swishing with apple cider vinegar is recommended, as well as teeth whitening toothpaste.
That is not to say that these home remedies don’t work. In fact, for light, surface stains, simply using good teeth whitening toothpaste with fluoride is a great way to keep your enamel stain-free. However, if you have deep staining and yellow teeth, home remedies are not enough to significantly lighten your teeth.
Over-the-counter teeth whitening kits
Almost as endless as the home remedies are the over-the-counter (OTC) whitening kits. The basic layout of one of these kits consists of a set of trays and whitening solution, though some just strips with the pre-applied whitening solution that you peel and stick to your teeth.
These kits have a weaker whitening solution than the kind used by dentists, so the results are often not as spectacular as you might hope. This lack of noticeable change can lead some people to overbleach their teeth, which can cause tooth and gum sensitivity, redness, and inflammation.
Professional teeth whitening
With professional teeth whitening, you can enjoy faster whitening results with just one in-office whitening session. At Bridge Creek Dental, we offer both in-office and at-home whitening treatments. The at-home treatments can take 1-2 weeks to achieve whiter teeth, while our office teeth whitening treatment will take less than an hour.
Part of what makes professional teeth whitening more effective than other treatments is due to the fact that our dentists have access to a high percentage of hydrogen peroxide, up to 40% concentration. OTC whitening kits have around 10% at best, making professional treatment clearly superior.
Teeth Whitening Process In Billings, MT
The teeth whitening process in Billings, MT at our dental clinic is relatively straightforward. Your first appointment with our dentists will be a consultation to see if you are a good candidate for teeth whitening.
If it turns out you are a good candidate, our dentists will take pictures of your teeth. By doing this, our dentists can determine how to structure your whitening treatment and give both our dentists and you a clear way to measure whitening progress.
Depending on what professional whitening treatment you chose, our dentists will move forward from there. If you choose in-office treatment, one of our dentists will apply the whitening treatment to your teeth, and in less than an hour, you will come out with whiter, brighter teeth.
When you choose at-home professional whitening, our dentists will make you a set of custom teeth whitening trays so that they fit around your teeth perfectly. That way, when you use our professional strength whitening solution, your teeth will evenly whiten, and the solution shouldn’t get on your gums, unlike OTC whitening kits.
For some examples of the kind of teeth whitening you can expect from our dentists, be sure to check out our teeth whitening smile gallery.
Who Is A Good Candidate For Teeth Whitening
Someone who is a good candidate for teeth whitening will have healthy teeth. If there are any cavities or gum disease, that will need to be taken care of first. That way, the whitening solution will work correctly.
Also, good candidates for teeth whitening will have naturally stained or yellowed enamel. If the tooth discoloration is caused by medication or due to a dead tooth, whitening may not be effective. Other options, such as veneers, can be explored if our dentists do not recommend teeth whitening for you.
Should you have a couple of dental issues, our dentists can create a treatment plan to get the problems taken care of so that you can move forward with your teeth whitening treatment.
Keeping Your Teeth White After Treatment
Once your treatment is completed, our dentists will advise you on how to care for your newly whitened teeth. It would be very discouraging if you immediately stained your whitened teeth, so they will discuss things you should avoid or cut back on to avoid staining, such as:
- Dark-colored sauces like soy sauce, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar.
- Red wine and dark-colored sodas like Coke and Pepsi.
- Nicotine products like cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes that use nicotine in the vaping liquid.
On top of these things, be sure to keep up with your oral hygiene. Simply brushing your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and flossing in the evening is a great way to keep your teeth white and cavity-free.
Enjoy The Best Teeth Whitening At Bridge Creek Dental
Here at Bridge Creek Dental, we can help you reach your dream smile. Once you consult with our dentists, they will be able to tell you whether or not you are a good candidate for teeth whitening and discuss what level of whiteness you would like to achieve.
If you would like to learn more about teeth whitening procedures or any other dental service, contact Bridge Creek Dental at (406) 652-1600 for a consultation. We look forward to serving you!
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