Why are my teeth dull or discolored?
Teeth lose their shine and may yellow for a number of reasons, including:
- Bad oral hygiene and at-home care
- Consuming foods with dark pigments, like berries or carrots
- Consuming beverages with dark pigments, like coffee, wine, or soda
- Prolonged consumption of tobacco products like cigarettes or chewing tobacco
- Medications, such as certain antihistamines, antipsychotics, and high blood pressure medications
- Early exposure (before eight years old) to certain antibiotics, like tetracycline or doxycycline
There are plenty of natural factors that can affect the color of your teeth, as well, like your age. As you age, your enamel (the hard outer layer of your teeth) becomes thinner, allowing your dentin (the soft inner layer of your teeth that is naturally yellow) to show through more clearly.
The color of your teeth can also be influenced by genetics, since the porousness or transparency of your enamel is actually a genetically inherited trait.
What are the available teeth whitening treatments?
There is a wide range of professional teeth whitening options available today, but the team of dental experts at Jones Family Dental and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry recommend custom-fitted at-home bleaching trays as the safest and most effective treatment for boosting the brightness of your smile.
Your teeth whitening process starts with an impression of your teeth. Dr. Jones and his team then send that impression to a lab that fabricates a custom-fitted bleaching tray that fits snugly around every nook and cranny of your teeth.
Once your bleaching tray comes back from the lab, Dr. Jones gives you professional-grade bleaching solution that you put in the tray and wear for up to four hours a day over the next one to two weeks.
Your teeth will be noticeably whiter in no time, giving you a smile that you’ll be proud to share with the world!
Can I use over-the-counter whitening strips?
You can, but you shouldn’t. While over-the-counter whitening strips and generic whitening trays have become popular due to their convenience and cost, they’re not nearly as effective as a professional teeth whitening treatment, and can even damage your oral health.
Over-the-counter products use a bleaching solution that isn’t nearly as strong and effective as what you get at Jones Family Dental, and because the trays and strips aren’t designed to perfectly fit around your unique smile, the bleaching solution frequently leaks out and comes into contact with your gums, where it acts as an irritant.
If you want to truly and safely improve the color of your smile, you need to enlist the supervision of a professional like Dr. Jones and the team at Jones Family Dental.
Put the shine back in your smile and book a teeth whitening appointment today by calling the office or scheduling a visit online.
