At Merrillville Dental Center, teeth whitening removes stains and discoloration from your teeth, giving you a whiter smile that sparkles. Dental professionals offer a few options for whitening treatments, including at-home solutions or in-office procedures. At-home options often require consistent use over several weeks or longer before any improvement is seen. Professional teeth whitening performed by a dentist yields faster results with a more noticeable change immediately after the procedure is completed.
Professional vs. Home Teeth Whitening
While plenty of over-the-counter whiteners are available, they don’t use the same kind of bleaching agents that your dentist has access to. Instead, these products rely on mild abrasives that physically remove surface stains on the enamel of your teeth. They’ll give you a slight brightening effect but won’t give you the dramatic results you’re looking for. In-office teeth whitening uses hydrogen peroxide to bleach the dentin layer of your teeth. This also allows your cosmetic dentist to change the color of your crowns and fillings to match the rest of your smile.
Your teeth are also porous, which allows the gel to penetrate beneath the extrinsic stains on your tooth’s surface. Once the gel has worked its way underneath the tooth, it can lighten its color. Once this is done, the surface stains will be removed with gentle polishing.
The Benefits of Teeth Whitening
There are a lot of health benefits to having white teeth. People with white teeth are more outgoing and more likely to be social than those with yellow or stained teeth. It’s also been shown that people with white teeth feel younger than those with yellow teeth, which makes sense because bright smiles are associated with healthiness and happiness. People with healthy-looking smiles are more attractive and trustworthy than those with yellow or stained teeth.
White teeth also give people more confidence when they smile, laugh, and speak with others. White teeth give people more confidence in job interviews and social situations. People who don’t like how their teeth look may also avoid smiling or laughing in public to hide their teeth from others. This can lead to feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment about their smile. On the other hand, people with bright, white smiles don’t usually have to worry about other people judging their smiles or laughing at them because of their teeth. This can boost their confidence and make them feel more comfortable around others.
When choosing a treatment that will give you the best results, it’s always best to talk to a professional. Get in touch with Merrillville Dental Center at 303 W. 89th Ave, Suite E-2, Merrillville, IN 46410, or call (219) 755-0045 to improve your smile's appearance.
