Whiter, Brighter Smiles: What to Expect When You Have Your Teeth Whitened

By |2018-12-14T11:49:29+01:00December 14th, 2018|Uncategorised|0 Comments

There aren’t many more attractive things in life than a gleaming smile. White, even teeth are associated with youth, health and beauty; and it’s not surprising that so many people covet the look so much.

However, years of smoking, eating the wrong foods and damage can cause teeth to discolour and stain; which has a really aging effect to your appearance. Thankfully, the situation can be reversed, by arranging to have your teeth whitened.

Teeth Whitening With Your Dentist in Ballincollig

Teeth whitening is a relatively straightforward procedure. Before you are booked in for the treatment, your dentist will examine your teeth thoroughly. The reason for this is that there are certain people who won’t be able to have teeth whitening treatment. These include:

  • People with restorations. If you’ve got restorations, such as veneers, you won’t be able to have your teeth treated.
  • People with staining inside the tooth. Occasionally, staining originates from within the tooth, rather than on the surface. As you can imagine, this type of discolouration can’t be treated using traditional teeth whitening treatment. However, it may be worth talking to your dentist, to see if there are any other options available to you.
  • Pregnant or nursing mothers. There hasn’t been enough research yet to determine whether or not the treatment is suitable for pregnant or nursing mothers, so as a result, it’s advisable that you postpone treatment until a later date.

What to Expect at the Treatment

Teeth whitening is a two-part process. Initially, a peroxide solution is placed on the enamel (outer ‘shell’ of the tooth). This helps to open the pores of the surface, enabling the whitening solution to reach the stained layer below.

This isn’t a painful procedure, though if you have sensitive teeth, you may experience increased sensitivity after the treatment. Afterwards, your dentist will talk to you about how to look after your teeth immediately after the treatment, and offer advice on appropriate dental hygiene.

If you feel nervous at all, remember to share your feelings with your dentist, who will do all they can to help put you at ease.

Results?

Results vary, depending on the nature of your staining and also the severity. As a general rule, teeth with a yellow hue tend to respond very well to treatment, whereas those with browner discolouration may not respond quite so successfully. You may need more than one treatment to achieve the desired results.

It’s also important to remember to look after your white teeth after the procedure. They may look dazzlingly white now, but if you continue smoking, drinking coffee and failing to look after your teeth with the right dental hygiene treatment, they’ll soon become stained again!

Teeth Whitening Dentist in Ballincollig

If you’re worried about your discoloured teeth and want to find out more about having your teeth whitened, get in touch with Guiney Dental Practice in Ballincollig today.