Cosmetic dentistry: everything you need to know about teeth whitening

Thanks to cosmetic dentistry, we have come a long way from the false teeth that George Washington wore—and apparently found excruciatingly painful. (By the way, his falsies were never made of wood; George had two sets, one of the finest hippopotamus ivory and the other of gold.). Nope, nowadays you can have a whole new set of teeth implanted if you wish and that’s just one of the many new advances made by the dental profession in the last couple of decades.

The procedures that are performed by cosmetic dentists include everything from veneers, bonding, inlays and overlays to dental implants, but the most popular procedure performed by cosmetic dentists is teeth whitening. To quote CNN, "According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, teeth whitening is the number one request from patients between the ages of 20 and 50. And more than a billion dollars a year is spent on the procedure.” Goodbye old yellows, hello pearly whites!

If you are thinking about putting some flash in your dash and a whiter smile on your face, it might interest you to know how Americans feel about attractive versus unattractive smiles. In a national survey carried out by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry® it was learned that:

* “Virtually all adults (99.7%) believe a smile is an important social asset.
* 96% of adults believe that an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to members of the opposite sex.
* Three-quarters (74%) of adults feel that an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances for career success.”

Apparently an attractive smile comes with perks attached, but what does that say for the unattractive smile? Answer: Not having one can ruin your sex life, your social life and your career it seems. Now that’s a lot of clout for a bright white smile. As far as teeth are concerned, the old adage, “go West young man,” has become today’s dental adage, “go white young man.”

Before you exit smiling though, there are a few things about teeth whitening that you might like to know.

What Causes Yellow or Discolored Teeth?

The color of teeth is determined by heredity and the intrauterine conditions to which a fetus is exposed during development. Over the years, teeth are then subjected to any number of environmental factors and intrinsic processes that turn once bright toothpaste smiles into dull, lackluster and yellowed ones. The longer you live and use your teeth, the more likely it is that they will show discoloration over time. Some of the factors that contribute to a change in the color of teeth are:

* Tobacco use (chewed or smoked)
* Highly pigmented food or drinks such as coffee, tea, red wine, certain soft drinks, cherries, blueberries, carrots, some color additives in candy
* Plaque and tartar buildup
* Certain drugs like tetracycline, an antibiotic
* Fluoride ingestion (in amounts exceeding 2 parts of fluoride per million parts of water) during pregnancy when fetal teeth are forming (the cause of mottling)
* Traumatic damage to teeth nerves and nerve roots

Teeth can discolor further where chips and cracks in enamel provide nooks and crannies for stains to deposit, and bruxism or the grinding of teeth also contributes to wear and tear.

Getting Those Pearly Whites Back

The intent of whitening teeth is to improve their color. This is accomplished by removing stains and discolouration with a the systematic application of a substance containing bleach directly to the tooth surface. The procedure can be carried out in a dentist’s office or at home and often some combination of each is preferred, starting the in the office then following up with further applications at home.

Your cosmetic dentist will discuss your color expectations with you, show you charts that demonstrate various color outcomes (from shade A to Shade D, for example) and give you an opinion, based on the quality and composition of your teeth, as to how likely it is that the process will achieve your desired color selection.

As far as color is concerned, teeth have individual characteristics that pre-determine and or influence the result that you can anticipate. Obviously older teeth are likely to be more difficult to lighten and may also lighten to a lesser degree than the teeth of a much younger person. Similarly, teeth with mottling stains caused by an over abundance of fluoride can be lightened but never to the intensity of teeth unaffected by fluorosis. Your innate tooth color also determines to some degree how well your teeth will respond to bleaching. Yellow-brown colored teeth respond better than those that are in the green-grey range. Finally, even though all teeth have some degree of translucency, teeth that are opaque and thick respond significantly better to bleaching than those that are thin and more transparent. This is because the bleach targets teeth pigment; therefore, heavily pigmented teeth respond better to lightening than minimally pigmented teeth.

After you and your dentist determine your mutual goal, a mold will be made of your teeth and from that mold, flexible, customized trays will be fashioned to hold the beaching substance. (When the trays are completed, they look exactly like a set of hollow, rubber false teeth.) The bleaching substance is added to the trays and the trays are inserted over your teeth for a specified period of time. If you are implementing the process at home, the dentist will tell you how often to repeat the application and how long the trays are to stay in each time. At the end of the process, you should have much brighter teeth and a happier smile.

Many dental practices also use a technique in the office that consists of: (1) applying a peroxide-based compound that varies in strength (from 3-30% peroxide) directly to the tooth surface and (2) effecting a chemical reaction in the compound by administering an external source of heat which causes whitening to occur more rapidly. This procedure is usually undertaken before the patient begins the bleaching tray procedure. The dentist will protect your gums and lips from the bleaching compound by applying a gel-like, bleach-resistant substance to them prior to beginning the process.

In-office whitening is the quickest way to obtain an increased whiteness because under the watchful eye of a professional, the concentration of bleach in the whitening compound can be increased as needed as opposed to take-home compounds that have a weaker peroxide content which extends the time needed to achieve the desired results. In the case of severe discoloration, more than one in-office visit may be necessary and or the dentist may give you trays and the compound to take home. The bleaching process in the dentist’s office can take up to one hour and is accomplished in 15-20 minute increments.

The average cost of a one hour bleaching session in $650 nationwide. It is importnant to note that return visits for maintainence is not only suggested but will likely be needed as teeth begin to darken again with use.

For follow-ups, your dentist may suggest a take-home whitening kit that you obtain directly from his office. It is reported that dentists consider these kits to be nearly as effective as in-office visits and some even think they do a better job over the long haul. These kits generally cost around $400, depending on the brand you select and your geographical location.

Finally, there are also many over-the-counter whitening kits and strips available to consumers today. Kits contain flexible trays and bleaching compounds, but as noted above, the substances in these kits contain a considerably lower percentage of bleaching agent. Still, they are quite effective when used on lightly stained teeth or for maintenance following an in-office treatment. The price is more affordable too, usually coting less than $100.

What To Watch Out For

Despite many improvements in the bleaching process, there will always be some individuals who will react poorly to the various chemicals in the whitening compound.

Irritable or swollen gums are red flags that should be reported to your dentist and carefully monitored. Often after several applications of the bleaching compound, the swelling and tenderness will disappear leaving you free to continue your bleaching treatments.

Having a new, dazzling smile may not bring you riches and fame, but the leap of self confidence and the increase in self-esteem that you will experience because of it will make you feel as if the world is at your feet--and that pretty much covers it from head to toe.

Source: http://www.articlecity.com/

Autor: Pat Perkins is a copywriter for Yodle Local, a business directory and online advertising company. Find more cosmetic surgery tips and info at local.yodle.com/articles. Cosmetic Dentistry: Everything You Need to Know about Teeth Whitening.
Author's web site at: local.yodle.com