What are teeth whitening kits?
One of the most common requests from dental patients is the best way to brighten their smile. There are many suggestions the dentist can offer to you to teeth whitening alexandria va both at home and at the dental office during appointments. The products help address the surface stains from the teeth to lighten the color of the enamel. Some options include abrasive agents that help break up stains and other include a bleaching agent that reduce the darker shades. The best way to brighten your smile may be a combination or one specific product but it is a good idea to talk to the dentist about what results you are looking to achieve. The dentist will be able to determine what are the reasons for your darker teeth and which approach will be best to help you get the smile you are hoping to share with the world.
How and Why Do Teeth Darken Over Time?
You may remember having a whiter smile when you were younger or you may think your smile has never been as white as you want. People both young and old look to change and improve the color of their teeth. Why is it that teeth do not stay the same color? For the same reason that our skin develops scars, spots and lines, our teeth start to demonstrate aging symptoms. Certain medications, medical treatments, tobacco use habits, traumatic events to your teeth, dark and acidic foods and beverages, and finally growing older all contribute to the staining and darkening of your teeth.
As the top layer of your tooth or the enamel starts to get thinner over time, the darker layers of the teeth start to show through the less dense enamel. The dentist will review your teeth to determine why you teeth are not the white shade you would like and be able to suggest a whitening treatment to help you achieve the shade you would prefer.
If your teeth have surface staining, then there are a few options to choose from your whitening approach. The dentist may suggest an over-the-counter product, an at home whitening kit, or an in-office treatment. All those options include the same bleaching agent at different concentrations. When you are at the dentist’s office for a whitening treatment, the concentration of the bleach is higher and needs to be carefully applied and supervised by a professional to ensure safety and efficacy. An at home bleaching kit includes a set of trays that the dentist creates from a set of molds of your teeth. These custom trays hold a bleaching solution against your teeth that the dentist provides. You will get specific instructions for the proper use and time periods that the trays should stay in place. With any of the whitening treatments, be sure to follow the instructions carefully so your teeth stay healthy as they are getting whiter. At the end of the treatment, you will have a whiter smile to share with the world and the confidence that the smile looks the way you hoped it would.