What You Should Know about Teeth Whitening in DC

by | Jun 26, 2014 | Dentist

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Everyone dreams of having a perfectly white set of teeth. Unfortunately, poor dental hygiene and other habits lead to loss of the natural white luster of the teeth. In case you are having trouble talking or laughing in public because of stained or discolored teeth, you need to get a good dentist for Teeth Whitening in DC. Below are important tips about whitening.

Causes of tooth discoloration

To avoid having the problem recur, you have to make sure that you know the probable causes of the staining or discoloration.

  • Smoking
  • : cigarette smoke contains tar, a substance that forms a dark brown coating on the teeth, and makes is very hard to remove.
  • Poor dental hygiene
  • : People that do not brush their teeth well often end up having a coating or yellow film on the teeth called plaque. With time, this coating becomes a permanent discoloration on the teeth.
  • Use of products with too much fluoride
  • : Fluoride is one of the minerals that are added to toothpaste to strengthen teeth. However, when this mineral is used in large amounts, it causes tooth discoloration. There are certain places where the excess fluoride comes from the tap water they drink.
  • Use of dark colored drinks
  • : drinks such as coffee and coke have a very dark pigment that gradually discolors and stains the teeth.
  • Excessive bleaching
  • : when you use over the counter bleaches too often, the teeth develop a dark bluish color that is permanent and unnatural.

Those are the main things that you should avoid after a whitening procedure if you want to maintain the white smile.

Teeth whitening at a dentist’s: The benefits

The first reason you should let the dentist handle whitening for you is the fact that you will notice a change with as little as one visit to the dentist. The other reason is that the dentist will know how often it is safe to whiten teeth. This will help you avoid getting complications such as sensitivity resulting from too much bleaching.

These are important things to know about the process of Teeth Whitening in DC. Click here to find additional information on cosmetic dentistry.