How Professional Teeth Whitening Can Help Patients Improve Their Smile

Your smile is an integral part of your appearance. However, when your bright smile starts to fade, it can hurt your appearance and confidence. The dental team at South Knox Dental of Knoxville, Tennessee, has helped many patients brighten their smiles with professional whitening services. We listen to your concerns and can help you make the right decision to enhance your sparkle and confidence. Learn more about the process and how to brighten your smile.

Why Are my Teeth so Discolored?

Teeth can appear dark, stained, or discolored for many reasons. In some cases, it can be caused by frequently drinking dark beverages like coffee, iced tea, or wine. These items attach dark fragments to the enamel of the teeth, which can cause staining over time. Additional culprits of teeth staining include smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco. Furthermore, a patient’s age, family genes, and medications can cause tooth discoloration.

Choosing the Correct Whitening Treatment

You’ve likely noticed that the toothpaste aisle of your local drugstore has many boxes of strips, gels, and toothpaste that claim to whiten your teeth. Additionally, a quick internet search will find many systems or processes that promise to deliver dramatic results in a short period.

Unfortunately, drugstore products often leave patients disappointed with the results, and systems that work in hours can leave patients experiencing tooth pain. By working with our dental professionals, patients can use professional-grade products under the guidance of a dental professional to achieve the smile they want and deserve safely.

Using Trays to Whiten Your Teeth

Our team uses a professional-grade whitening gel and custom-fit trays to help whiten teeth. First, patients are fitted to ensure a proper, comfortable fit. At home, patients will fill the trays with whitening gel and wear them for a predetermined amount of time each day. While wearing the trays, patients can read, do household chores, work, or perform light exercise. Once the desired level of whiteness has been achieved, patients can stop wearing the trays each day. The trays and whitening gel can be saved for later when patients feel their teeth need a little boost.

Caring for Your Smile After the Procedure

While the trays and whitening gel are safe, it’s easier to prevent discoloration than to erase it once it occurs. To protect your teeth and prevent future issues, our dental professionals offer these suggestions:

• Avoid dark beverages. Or, if you can’t kick the coffee habit, try using a straw to prevent the dark liquid from contacting the front of your teeth.
• Brush your teeth after eating or drinking dark foods or beverages. If you don’t have a toothbrush with you, rinse your mouth with mouthwash or water to remove lingering particles.
• Keep good oral health habits by brushing twice and flossing at least once each day.
• Stop smoking or chewing tobacco. These products are both bad for your health and harmful to your smile.

For more information or to schedule a teeth whitening consultation in Knoxville, TN at South Knox Dental contact us.