Teeth whitening is not a one-size-fits-all procedure. People’s teeth are as unique as their desires and expectations. An adult who meets with the general public daily may want a boost in confidence from no longer having stained, yellowed teeth. A teenager might think that a whiter, brighter smile will win an invitation into the ‘in’ crowd. Someone else might be having teeth straightened and feel that whiter teeth would be the perfect finishing touch to a greatly improved smile.
Age matters. A teenager can usually expect dramatic results quickly. The older someone is, the more it will take to get the same results. After all, it took years to darken that pristine white someone was born with and it would be unrealistic to expect it to magically reappear. Keeping teeth white from an early age is the best approach, but almost all teeth can become whiter.
Genetics influences the results that can be expected from whitening. Everyone has a particular tooth color that they were born with and that will become visible as they age. This inborn color ranges from yellowish-brown to green-gray. Those who tend toward the yellow-brown will achieve faster results. Whether teeth tend to be more translucent or opaque also affects results. Teeth that seem to be more opaque and thicker are most responsive to bleaching. Pigment in the teeth is what is bleached; translucent teeth have less pigment so are less responsive to whitening.
Other factors that affect teeth whitening are smoking, eating habits and certain medications, particularly tetracycline. Yellowed ‘smoker teeth’ is almost a stereotype, but is unfortunately true. Nicotine sinks into the teeth, leaving brownish deposits which causes the discoloration.
Deeply-colored foods such as coffee, tea, red wine, cola and even oranges eaten over many years will stain teeth. The tooth enamel is eroded by acidic foods such as vinegar. This tooth erosion makes the tooth enamel more translucent, allowing the underlying natural color to show through.
Hunterdon Family Dental provides comprehensive family dental services to residents of Flemington, Hunterdon and Branchburg, NJ and the surrounding regions. The dentists believe in combining a conservative treatment approach with state-of-the-art procedures, resulting in the best possible care for their patients. They focus on offering reliable dental health care as well as cosmetic dentistry, dental implants and emergency services. Smiles are brightened with their expert Teeth Whitening in Branchburg.
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