If you are unhappy because of discolored teeth, you might be thinking they make your smile look unhealthy or older than you want. Fortunately, most discolored teeth can be brightened in under an hour with Zoom! teeth whitening. Stains from food, beverages, and smoking can be eliminated quickly, leaving your smile much brighter and more youthful-looking.
To learn whether you can benefit from teeth whitening in Spokane Valley, please call (509) 927-2273 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics.
Why Teeth Get Stained
Teeth naturally pick up stains from our foods. This can seem straightforward, but it’s actually more complicated than you think.
First, dark-colored materials can stain our teeth. This makes sense: coffee, tea, chocolate, and berries, for example are all obvious sources of staining. The same with tobacco and marijuana smoke.
But not all sources of stains are obvious. Acidic foods and drinks can make your teeth stain because they etch your tooth enamel, creating more microscopic ridges where stain molecules can get trapped. And some foods that seem light in color can actually turn dark, like the way cut potatoes or apples will turn dark in air.
So while red wine is a double whammy–both acidic and dark in color–switching to highly acidic white wine won’t save your teeth.
In the end, while there are some things you can do to reduce staining, some amount of staining is inevitable
Why Choose Professional Teeth Whitening
If your teeth are discolored, you might decide that it’s best to just buy one of the home whitening kits you can find at the grocery or drug store. However, there are many reasons to work with a cosmetic dentist on your teeth whitening:
- Find out if whitening will be effective
- Whiten safely
- Whiten teeth evenly
- Achieve brighter whites
- Avoid sensitivity
It’s natural to assume that teeth whitening will help your discolored teeth. However, not all types of stains respond to whitening.
While whitening is safe when used as directed, it’s not always easy to follow the directions and use the whiteners safely. Other times, you might only whiten parts of your teeth, making your smile look worse.
Our Spokane Valley dentists will make sure your teeth are safe, and that your results are even. And with their stronger whitening compounds, you can achieve a brighter smile than you could on your own. Plus, they can take steps to help you avoid tooth sensitivity.
How Zoom! Teeth Whitening Works
At Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics, we love the effectiveness of Zoom! teeth whitening. First, we’ll perform an exam to make sure your stains will respond to the process, and see if there are health problems we should address first.
We’ll cover your lips and gums to make sure they don’t get any whitener on them–it can be an irritant. Then we’ll paint the teeth with the strong whitening compound. We expose the teeth to a bright catalyst light.
We repeat the process three times, with about 15 minutes of whitening each time. In under an hour, you’ll have brighter teeth. And if you want to get them brighter or maintain your results, we will send home a Sapphire Lumibright kit.
Not White Enough?
But what can you do if your teeth don’t respond to whitening or don’t get as white as you want? People have different shades of natural enamel, and yours might not be as white as you like. Or your enamel might be thin, allowing the darker layers of teeth to show through.
In any case, you can still achieve a beautiful, bright smile with veneers. These cover your natural teeth and can be made as white as you like. As a bonus, they can also close gaps in your smile, lengthen teeth, or correct other minor cosmetic complaints.
Your Brighter Smile Is Waiting
If you are unhappy because of discolored teeth, we can help you with teeth whitening in Spokane Valley. Please call (509) 927-2273 today to talk to a Spokane Valley cosmetic dentist at Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics.
