Teeth Whitening in Sherwood Park
Teeth Whitening Near You
As cosmetic dentistry becomes more accessible, more people are looking for ways to enhance their smiles. A bright, white smile is often seen as a symbol of health and confidence. In the past, simply having teeth was enough, but now, the goal is straight, flawless teeth in the whitest shade possible. With professional teeth whitening in Sherwood Park, achieving that goal is more realistic than ever. However, it’s important to understand what this treatment entails, as not everyone may be a suitable candidate.
Be Realistic about Teeth Whitening
If we look to the media for our beauty standards, we will almost certainly never be happy with the result. Even the most beautiful 1% of film stars are often photoshopped before we see them in magazines. This means that even the most beautiful people don’t meet the standards they are setting—how bizarre! It falls on us to take the time to understand what a reasonable standard is to hold ourselves to. Regarding teeth whitening near you, there are several factors to consider, beginning with the fact that the spectrum of natural tooth shades is more diverse than many of us would expect.
Have you ever noticed that your teeth look whiter some days than others? This is likely to do with the fact that lighting plays a role in how white your teeth look, as do other factors like your age. As you age, your enamel thins and more of your dentin becomes visible—this is most visible in men because the size of each of their teeth tends to be larger than in women. So, why does dentin matter?
Dentin makes up the bulk of your tooth; it houses the pulp of the tooth, which is the chamber in the centre where your nerve and blood supply operate. Dentin is also sensitive, which is why teeth are more sensitive where there has been gum recession. Enamel covers the dentin, but only to the natural gum line. If the gums are recessed beyond that point, teeth can become sensitive due to exposed dentin. Dentin is the part of the tooth that gives it its colour. Even though we often think of enamel as the ‘white’ factor, the truth is that enamel is mostly transparent, and the shade of the tooth is mostly determined by the shade and amount of dentin showing through the enamel. If we want to lighten the shade of the teeth, we need to concern ourselves primarily with lightening the shade of the dentin behind our enamel. Dentures require that food be consumed in small bites, distributed across the arches evenly. Because dentures do not act like real teeth, eating with dentures can be difficult to adjust to. If dentures come with a full palate, the ability to taste food is significantly diminished.
Understand the Whitening Process
Our enamel can be visualized as the final protective coat on our teeth, almost like a glass coating to help us keep the effects of acid attack at bay. It’s hard and smooth and in no way gives any clues as to its porous nature—until you see it under a microscope. Imagine that enamel was made of stacks and stacks of drinking straws that begin at the dentin and extend outward. This means certain materials can pass through the tiny, straw-like pores in your enamel and reach the dentin underneath, because that’s essentially how enamel is structured!
Tooth whitening takes advantage of the fact that enamel contains pores, or channels, through which it can penetrate the dentin and actually bleach it. What an amazing discovery! But knowing this reminds us of the importance of doing what we can to minimize the surface staining of the enamel in order for the whitening to give us the best achievable result for our unique mouth.
Do What You Can
It’s important to realize that pairing treatment for teeth whitening near you with other efforts makes all the difference. What you eat and drink, and your lifestyle all influence your tooth colour. For example, eating a diet that is high in sugar and low in oral hygiene is going to promote surface staining, since plaque will accumulate on the teeth and eventually become tartar, which can only be removed by a dentist in Sherwood Park.
Plaque is clear when it first appears, but tartar is readily stained by smoking and by drinking highly coloured fluids like coffee, tea, or red wine. You can whiten your teeth, but if you don’t abstain from staining culprits, the effect simply won’t last.
Review Your Options for Teeth Whitening
Our dentists near you have clinical-strength whitening products available to you as well as complimentary products to discourage sensitivity after whitening. At Salisbury Dental Clinic, we also offer in-office teeth whitening in Sherwood Park for faster, more dramatic results—perfect for patients who want noticeable improvements in just one visit. If you aren’t sure if whitening is for you, discuss the process with your dentist and whether this is the best approach. Some kinds of tooth discoloration require more than whitening products to improve their appearance. Additionally, if your smile does not respond to the treatment, bonding or dental veneers may be recommended as an alternative.
Get the Bright Smile You Deserve
If you have questions about teeth whitening in Sherwood Park or other services offered by our general dentist, contact Salisbury Dental Clinic today! Together, we can examine your smile, discuss your preferences, and identify the most appropriate cosmetic treatment to help you obtain the smile you deserve. We look forward to hearing from you!