So you want to whiten your teeth…
By: Dr. Heather Hradek
Everyone is on the quest for a whiter, more perfect smile so it makes sense that our most requested service is tooth whitening. There are so many products on the market, it’s hard for most patients to know where to start! The other factor is that the answer for what is best is going to vary from person to person depending on what caused the stain in the first place. Teeth can become stained from a variety of reasons, from smoking, food, wine, age, cavities, medications, and even from the nerve in the tooth dying! If you are considering whitening, if you want to have successful results, your first stop should be at the dentist!
The most common stains on teeth are extrinsic, or surface stains caused by what we consume—from coffee, tea, wine, cigarettes, etc. A dental cleaning will help to polish away some of those tougher stains to help give you a good start on your whitening journey. We will also perform a dental exam to make sure the stains are not from cavities or a dead nerve in your tooth causing the discoloration. In between dental cleanings, avoiding those foods and drinks that stain teeth will help, but what fun is life without a little coffee or chocolate every once in a while, so using a whitening toothpaste will help to better maintain your teeth free from those surface stains. Whitening toothpastes contain a combination of abrasive ingredients and chemicals to help remove surface stains, but they do not contain bleaching products. This means the toothpaste will scrub away stains, but will not brighten.
If stains are more intrinsic, or part of the internal composition of the tooth, you’re going to need a little extra help with bleaching products. Bleaching products sold through your local retail stores work, but they are not as strong as what is sold through the dental office, so if you just need a slight touchup, these products may do the trick. If you want more guaranteed results, we can help discuss what options will work best for you.
In our office, the best bang for your buck if you want to regularly whiten to maintain your teeth is going to be custom whitening trays. We would fabricate these trays from a mold of your mouth and provide whitening gel to place in the trays. As long as you don’t have any major dental trays, these trays can last you quite some time and all you have to do when you want to whiten again is buy more whitening gel. If you’re a gagger and don’t like the impressions, we offer Opalescence Go, which are similar to whitening strips you may find in the store but have a higher strength whitening Gel.
If you want quick results or have severe stains from Tetracycline, the in-office whitening product we offer is Kor whitening. There are varying levels of Kor whitening depending on the level of stain you have. Kor uses a combination of at home whitening and one or two in office whitening visits with a higher percentage whitening gel. Kor is an amazing product, and while the investment for it is more initially, the results are the best with any in-office product I have ever used. I completed a case of Kor for a Tetracycline patient, who had the medication as a child and had severe intrinsic staining as a result, and she had tried many, many products throughout the years without big changes. Finally once she tried Kor, she couldn’t believe the results! She was ecstatic to finally see her teeth whiter!
Finally, if you want to drastically change the shade of your teeth as well as the shape, talk to us about a smile makeover! There are various options we can discuss based on your case. Commonly in smile makeovers, we use dental veneers, which are thin, porcelain shells that are bonded to the front side of your teeth to drastically change the appearance. All of our doctors have been trained in extensive cosmetic dentistry continuing education courses and Dr. Heather Hradek is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry so you can trust your smile is in good hands.
Are you interested in whitening your teeth? Make an appointment today for a consultation so we can discuss what option might work best for you! (219)929-9289
Chesterton Family Dental is the general dental office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing comprehensive dental care for the entire family.