Preparing for Your Next Trip to the Dentist

With a little preparation, you can make sure that you get much more from your next trip to the dentist. Your local dentist doesn't just check on the health of your teeth, they can also offer many other treatments. This website is designed to bring up the best info possible about the range of treatments a dental professional can offer you. We will be looking at dentures, tartar removal, tooth replacement and much more. While no one who contributes to this site is a trained dentist, everyone is extremely interested in researching and writing about this topic. Thank you for checking out this site.

What You Should Know About Teeth Whitening

Dentist Blog

If your teeth are not as white as you want them to be, you should know that teeth whitening can be performed by a qualified and licensed dentist. Here's what you need to know about teeth whitening procedures:

Why Are Your Teeth Discoloured?

Before getting into teeth whitening procedures, you should know some of the various reasons that cause tooth discolouration:

  • You might have an underlying dental condition.
  • Something in your diet is discolouring your teeth.
  • You might have a genetic condition.

What Are Teeth Whitening Procedures?

These are procedures carried out on your teeth to help restore their whiteness. They can include the use of whitening gels, dental cleaning procedures, treatment or management of an underlying dental or genetic condition, a change in diet, etc.

DIY Teeth Whitening Procedures

Dentists always insist that all matters related to your teeth should be handled by a dentist. Do not attempt any DIY teeth whitening procedures unless guidance or dentist approval is given. The only DIY thing you should do with your teeth is floss or brush. 

The reason behind this is that DIY teeth whitening procedures involve purchasing over-the-counter teeth whitening products. Since you have not assessed your teeth to find out the root cause of the discolouration, applying an over-the-counter teeth whitening product could aggravate your condition and even lead to loss of teeth. You also don't know whether you are allergic to some ingredients contained in the teeth whitening product.

Professional Teeth Whitening Procedures

The dentist assesses your teeth to find out the root cause of the discolouration. You might even be asked several questions, for example, about your diet, when you first noticed the discolouration, whether your teeth are sensitive, whether you are experiencing any pain, etc. Such questions help the dentist get to the root cause of your problem.

The dentist can then administer the right course of treatment based on your answers and his or her findings. You should note that it is not always certain that the first treatment approach works; the dentist might require to try out different approaches until one works.

Don't expect snow-white teeth colour. Your dentist should be in a position to give you a rough idea of the whiteness you should expect. That is why you might hear your dentist inform you not to have high teeth whitening expectations.

Teeth whitening does not take place overnight; you need at least a week or two to start noticing changes.

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19 March 2020