Is the daily mid-afternoon espresso or mid-morning tea? Surely it can’t have been the occasional curry or sip of pomegranate juice? You know smoking is bad for you, but that can’t be it, can it? You had that really bad tooth infection taken care of, but you can still see the signs of it on that one tooth. You’re glad you took those antibiotics when you were a child, but wish you didn’t have to see the side effects in the mirror every day.
All of those factors — coffee and tea, other foods and beverages, smoking, the side effects of medication, and so many other things — can cause your teeth to become stained and discoloured no matter how frequently you brush and floss. That’s the bad news. The good news? You can have cleaner and whiter teeth without wasting time, money, and frustration on whitening strips from the grocery store or other DIY options. Professional teeth whitening in Port Moody can restore your teeth to their pearliest white glory. Here’s everything you need to know about the process of teeth whitening near you. It’s as easy as 1-2-3-4-5.
The First Step — A Careful Assessment
One reason you shouldn’t do this at home by yourself? So you can have a conversation with a real dentist and their staff. A dentist near you knows teeth whitening can’t remove all stains, and that some strains have to be treated differently. If the stains on your teeth are caused by trauma, infection, or medication side effects, no whitening process will be effective. It will just waste your time and money. Your dentist has other cosmetic dentistry options, though. The assessment is also a chance to talk about any unusual tooth sensitivity that the dentist should adjust their process to account for.
The Second Step — Taking Care Over Colour
Using a shade guide, your dentist will record your original tooth colour. After all, your teeth are not actually white, and you may be surprised just how not white they are before and after they’ve been whitened to their very best condition. After all, teeth aren’t actually white at their very whitest. Recording the colour of your teeth at the start will allow your dentist in Port Moody to track progress and make any adjustments to achieve the results you’re looking for.
The Third Step — Plaque Removal
Plaque is a biofilm that builds up on your teeth. Unless it’s removed before whitening begins, it’ll get in the way of the work being done by the whitening compounds on the stains on your teeth’ enamel. It’s yet another advantage of professional whitening over DIY options unless you’re really good at removing plaque from your own teeth, that is.
The Fourth Step — Drying
The dryer your teeth, the better your whitening results will be. For that reason, your dentist will get your teeth as dry as possible and place rubber dams between your teeth and other areas of your mouth to keep them dry while your dentist applies the whitening compounds and exposes your teeth to UV light. The barriers offer the added benefit of keeping the whitening compounds away from your tongue and gums where they could possibly cause irritation.
The Fifth Step You’ve Been Waiting For — Whitening
The dentist will cover your teeth using a hydrogen peroxide-rich compound that dissolves stains on your teeth. The teeth are then exposed to laser light to activate those compounds and to speed up the bleaching action. In a single 60 or 90-minute appointment, your teeth will be whitened by up to eight shades. Your newly whitened teeth will stay that way for up to a year — much longer than any over-the-counter option — with careful attention to daily dental hygiene and some good eating and drinking habits. Not to mention not smoking.
Whiter teeth in Port Moody are as easy as those five steps. Are you ready to bid adieu to your stained teeth, and keep them pearly white? Contact a dentist in Port Moody to schedule your professional teeth cleaning.