Are you struggling with your discolored and stained teeth? It’s hard when you want to show off your smile, but are embarrassed by the appearance. Hamilton Dental Designs, a quality dentist in Allentown, Pennsylvania, can diagnose the reason why your teeth are discolored and give you a solution to fix it.
Why Are My Teeth Discolored?
Your teeth may not be the pearly white you want them to be for many reasons. These include:
- Aging
- Smoking
- Diet
- Injury
- Too much fluoride
- Medication
Determining the cause of your teeth discoloration is crucial to your teeth whitening treatment in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Certain treatments may not work for certain conditions.
Aging
As we get older, our teeth naturally get darker. The outer enamel of the teeth slowly wears away. This exposes what’s beneath the enamel: dentin, which is darker and can make your teeth appear gray or yellow.
Smoking
Smoking, or any other kind of tobacco use, leads to nicotine stains on your teeth. At the start, they take on a yellow appearance, but they can turn to a darker brown with heavy use.
Diet
If you’re a frequent consumer of coffee, tea, red wine, or other acidic foods or drinks, they’re going to wear at the enamel on your teeth. This exposes the dentin layer quicker than when it’s revealed by just aging.
Injury
Trauma or injury to your tooth can lead to a black or brown spot forming. The extent of the trauma will determine just how big that spot is.
Too Much Fluoride
Random bright white patches on your teeth mean you were exposed to too much fluoride during their development.
Medication
Some medications, particularly certain antibiotics, can lead to blotchy, brown discoloration. These stains are often extremely difficult to remove with traditional whitening methods.
What Are My Teeth Whitening Options?
Once a full oral health exam is done, Dr. Jose Gil can determine which teeth whitening method would be best for your particular case. While there are three usual choices, more extreme measures may be taken depending on the individual.
Zoom! Teeth Whitening
Hamilton Dental Designs offers both in-office and take-home Zoom! teeth whitening options. The in-office treatment provides the fastest process. A gel is applied to the teeth and a special light is used to activate the whitening process. The results are almost instant. You can lighten your teeth up to eight shades in as little as an hour. Touch up kits are available to take home. It’s recommended you avoid acidic food and drink, but touch up kits are helpful if you can’t give up your coffee!
The at-home option is a slower process. A mold will need to be made of your teeth. Specialists then create whitening trays that are based on the molds. You’ll wear the trays for a certain amount of time each day, seeing results in a few weeks.
Dental Bonding
If your stains can’t be whitened by traditional teeth whitening, dental bonding comes into play. Bonding is also helpful if the staining on your teeth is uneven and in spots, like if it’s from medication. A slight amount of the tooth’s enamel is removed to make room for the bonding. The bonding material is then matched to the color that you desire. The material is easily manipulated, so the dentist can sculpt it to the exact shape of each tooth. A light is used to harden the bonding material, and you’re all set!
Porcelain Veneers
If your case is severe, the tooth chipped or broken, or you want a more permanent option, porcelain veneers are the way to go. This thin layer of dental ceramic looks like natural teeth and is fitted over your normal ones. The material can also be colored to your specific wants.
Again, a bit of your tooth enamel is removed to make room. Molds will be made of your teeth. You’ll be fitted with temporary veneers while those molds are used to make your permanent porcelain veneers. When the permanent ones come in, they’ll be tested on you to make sure the fit is perfect and you’re comfortable. Once you agree to everything, they’re bonded to your teeth. This gives you a permanently whiter smile, with the veneers being very resistant to staining.
Teeth Whitening in Allentown, PA
Dr. Jose Gil and staff can give you the smile of your dreams. If you’re ready to show off a brighter, whiter smile, call us today or request an appointment online!