Dr. Robert Harrell and his expert team at Adult Dentistry of Ballantyne understand how important a healthy, gleaming smile is to your appearance and level of self-confidence. The fact is, our society equates a bright white smile with success, health and vitality. Unfortunately, tooth discoloration can occur for a variety of reasons. This post offers details on how stained teeth can happen and resolving it with Zoom! Whitening:
Tooth Discoloration: What Is It?
Your teeth can become discolored by stains on the surface or by changes inside the tooth. There are three main types of tooth discoloration:
Extrinsic — This occurs when the outer layer of the tooth (the enamel) is stained. Coffee, wine, cola or other drinks or foods can stain teeth. Smoking also causes extrinsic stains.
Intrinsic — This is when the inner structure of the tooth (the dentin) darkens or gets a yellow tint. You can get this type of discoloration if:
- You had too much exposure to fluoride during early childhood.
- Your mother used tetracycline antibiotics during the second half of pregnancy.
- You used tetracycline antibiotics when you were 8 years old or younger.
- You had trauma that affected a tooth when you were a young child. A fall, for example, may damage the developing permanent tooth.
- You had trauma in a permanent tooth, and internal bleeding discolored the tooth.
- You were born with a rare condition called dentinogenesis imperfecta. This causes gray, amber or purple discolorations. More info at Colgate
Where Did These Stains Come From?
It can be surprising how fast staining can develop. If you have discovered a newfound love for red wine, taken to eating blueberries at snacktime or slacked off from brushing your teeth, stains can appear. Even when you’re diligent about your oral health routine, taking iron supplements or a new medication can affect the color of your teeth due to the build-up of deposits. To help keep this from happening, the experts at Colgate outline some helpful preventative measures in the post below:
Prevention
Brushing your teeth after every meal will help to prevent some stains. Dentists recommend that you rinse your mouth with water after having wine, coffee or other drinks or foods that can stain your teeth. Regular cleanings by a dental hygienist also will help to prevent surface stains.
Intrinsic stains that are caused by damage to a nerve or blood vessel in the inner part (the pulp) of a tooth sometimes can be prevented by having root canal treatment, which removes organic material before it has a chance to decay and darken. However, teeth that undergo root canal treatment may darken anyway. To prevent intrinsic stains in children, avoid water that contains a high fluoride concentration. You can check the concentration of fluoride in your drinking water supply by calling the public health department. Then consult your dentist.
Treatment
Discoloration often can be removed by applying a bleaching agent to the enamel of the teeth. With a technique called “power bleaching,” the dentist applies a light-activated bleaching gel that causes the teeth to get significantly whiter in about 30 to 45 minutes. Continue reading at Colgate
ZOOM! Your Stains Away
ZOOM! Teeth Whitening treatment at Adult Dentistry of Ballantyne offers a quick and easy answer to tooth discoloration. Just one session can make your teeth up to seven shades lighter. You won’t be able to stop grinning and showing off your new, radiant smile after treatment. The following post from Philips explains why ZOOM! Whitening is such a successful option:
Superior results for the toughest stains
The Philips Zoom Ultimate Protocol consists of four 15-minute Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed sessions, followed by two to four take-home treatments of Philips Zoom NiteWhite Maximum white to achieve your patient’s desired whitening results.
Dental professionals now have a specific protocol for treating patients with severe tooth discoloration. The new Philips Zoom Ultimate Protocol combines Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed chariside whitening with Philips Zoom NiteWhite take-home treatment for maximum whitening results. Learn more at Philips
If you’re ready to have a brilliant smile, call Adult Dentistry of Ballantyne today at 704-541-9888 or use the contact form on the website to schedule your ZOOM! Teeth Whitening session. We look forward to hearing from you.
