Cosmetic Dentistry: Makeup For Your Teeth

Does your crisp white shirt or dress match your teeth? Have you been smiling lately just to lose a date? Your yellow pearlies could be the reason. Move on, for cosmetic dentistry can rescue you from your discolored teeth. For you’re never fully dressed, without a smile.

With innovative teeth whitening you don’t have to hide your smile. Stained teeth are not a life threatening condition. Whitening procedures can lighten the stained teeth; improve your appearance, so you can keep smiling.

Are your teeth stained?
Find out the cause of the yellowness. Sometimes, teeth don’t come up white. Their color is naturally a yellow tint. If all your teeth are the same tint, then your teeth are naturally yellow and not stained. However, if your teeth vary in color or shades of yellow, then they are probably stained.

Causes of Staining or Discoloring?
• Aerated Drinks, Tea, coffee, Tobacco alter the enamel of the teeth causing staining. Food can cause staining if teeth are not properly brushed after meals.
• Aging contributes to color change. Under the tooth enamel is a material called dentin. Dentin, is naturally yellow and aging causes the enamel to wear out, exposing the dentin.
• Too much fluoride or other minerals in drinking water, can turn your teeth yellow.
• Some medical conditions, prolonged illness and trauma can change the teeth color.
• Tetracycline, an antibioticdefine, causes discoloration of teeth in children and makes them appear blotchy. Now doctors have realized that this medication causes yellowness.
• Sometimes, yellowness is inherited.

Cosmetic Dentistry can put your smile back

• Bleaching is one of the common methods for teeth whitening. Procedure involves placing peroxide releasing materials on your teeth, allowing the peroxide to oxidize out the stain and lighten the stain color. The procedure does not take long. Option of using highly concentrated, light activated bleaching is also available to guarantee quick results.

• Dental Veneers are made of porcelain, applied in thin layers on top of the tooth surface. It is an effective method but veneers are an expensive option. They last only around ten to fifteen years after which you need to replace them. Dentist must make sure that the veneers fit properly in the mouth and that, the bite is adjusted so that they do not become easily chipped.

• Bleaching trays are typical moulds that fit your mouth to allow the bleaching agent to effectively coat each tooth. They contain a higher concentration of bleaching agent and it is an effective and quick option.

• The procedure combines hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent and blue-light technology. The effects are dramatic and just take an hour. There are lesser side effects and the color change lasts a few years.

There are however, some common side-effects like tooth sensitivity and gum discomfort. Over bleaching of your teeth can make them blue.

Other over-the-counter whitening products like whitening mouthwash, toothpaste, strips, Paint-On-Bleach(a nail polish-like cosmetic), etc can handle mild staining or discoloration. Apart from these try brushing your teeth with baking soda, strawberry pulp and salt in small quantities. but remember that, salt is abrasive and can weaken enamel. Rinse your mouth with a vinegar/water solution.

Tooth enamel is very fragile so don’t go overboard with whitening therapies as it might result in the enamel wearing off. Discolored teeth are an aesthetic issue. Overdoing the whole thing, can cause permanent damage in your pursuit to have a sparkling, bright smile.