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Teeth whitening is incredibly popular, and for good reason – your smile is often the first thing people notice about you. Having pearly white teeth and a fantastic smile can really boost your self-confidence and help you make a great first impression.

Why do I Need Teeth Whitening?

Maintaining white teeth is not always easy. Food, drinks, age, medications, lifestyle choices, and even genetics can prevent your teeth from always looking as white and bright as possible. To understand why you would need teeth whitening, it is helpful to understand how teeth become dull and yellow in the first place.

Tooth enamel is a protective layer of calcium, a mineral that tends to be white in color. Over time, enamel can wear down to expose the yellow-colored layer of dentin below. Certain foods and beverages, such as citrus fruits and soft drinks, can also wear down enamel.

Other foods and beverages, such as tomato-based sauces, coffee and tea, can stain your teeth. Tooth enamel is very porous, which means it has tiny holes that allow stain-causing substances to seep into the enamel. It can be hard to remove these substances from the pores; left in place, they can lead to stubborn stains on your teeth.

The whiteness of your teeth may be genetic, passed down through the generations. Thicker, whiter enamel can run in families; yellow teeth can also run in families. While you cannot change your family history of yellow teeth, you can change the overall whiteness of your teeth.

Tobacco use can cause stubborn stains on your teeth. Tobacco contains two substances that can stain your teeth: tar and nicotine. Tar is a naturally dark, resinous substance that sticks to teeth. Nicotine is colorless, but when it mixes with air, turns into a yellowish, surface-staining substance. Nicotine stains can be tough to remove without professional teeth whitening.

Certain medications can cause side effects, including tooth darkening. These medications can include antihistamines, antipsychotics and high blood pressure medications. Taking prescription medications is essential for your overall health, so you should never stop taking prescribed medications just because they discolor your teeth; professional teeth whitening can help you maintain a whiter, brighter smile while you take the medications you need for optimal health.

Whether your teeth are stained from age, genetics, medications, food or lifestyle choices, teeth whitening can make your teeth their whitest and brightest.

How Teeth Whitening Works

While there are countless teeth whitening products available, all use the same basic ingredients: peroxides, such as hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide.

Peroxides contain very volatile oxygen molecules that, when they touch the surface of your teeth, react by breaking apart the chemical bonds that hold stains onto your tooth enamel. This action “bleaches” away tough stains to whiten the appearance of your teeth.

Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a fast, easy, and painless way to get the smile you want. While dozens of teeth-whitening products line the shelves at your local drugstore, none can surpass the results you can get from the professional-grade whiteners.

A brighter smile

Dental professionals can use stronger whitening agents, which instantly lift stains better than over-the-counter products. They can also adjust the strength of their whitening agents to provide optimal whitening without damaging your tooth enamel.

Fast results

Drugstore treatments usually take several days or weeks to noticeably whiten your teeth. Sometimes the whitening effects can take so long that they are hard to notice. You can get your teeth noticeably at your dentist’s office in about an hour.

Better oral health

Before starting your teeth whitening procedure, your dental professional will examine your mouth to ensure that the treatment will not worsen a dental issue, such as failing fillings or exposed tooth roots. Over-the-counter teeth whitening kits do not provide this advantage.

Advanced teeth whitening technology

Teeth whitening technology is advancing quickly. Early teeth whitening methods used hot, uncomfortable lights to activate the whitening agents. Today’s teeth whitening with Opalescence Boost® uses a powerful 40% hydrogen peroxide gel that is chemically activated, so it does not require a light.

Provide optimal results at home

You can now do professional teeth whitening at home! In fact, our dentists can help you do Opalescence Boost® at home.

Provide uniform results

Whitening products will not whiten some types of dental work, such as dental crowns and implants. This means that your natural teeth will get whiter but your dental crown will not, so your dental work will look darker than your natural teeth.

Personalization

Your dentist can make your teeth several shades lighter to give you the exact level of whiteness you want. Over-the-counter products are a one-size-fits-all approach to teeth whitening.

Long-lasting results

The whitening products that dental professionals use contain stronger bleaching agents that create long-lasting results.

Safer treatment

The teeth bleaching kits you buy from the store may irritate your gums and increase tooth sensitivity. When you undergo professional teeth whitening, dental professionals monitor the teeth whitening process carefully to protect your mouth from damage. They can also adjust your treatment so that you get the best results without harming your teeth.

Personalized tips for keeping your teeth at their whitest

Our team of dentists can provide you with personalized hints and tips for keeping your teeth their whitest and brightest. Tips may include rinsing your mouth after eating or drinking, avoiding smoking or other tobacco use, drinking plenty of water throughout the day, avoiding common stain-causing foods and beverages, and using a straw when drinking acidic beverages.

For more information about the benefits of professional teeth whitening, consult with our team of dentists at Westerville Dental Associates. We offer exceptional teeth whitening with Opalescence Boost® for in-office or at-home teeth whitening.