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Did you know that we are all born with 20 baby teeth hidden in our gums? As we grow, our teeth change and If you’re considering what life is like with a brighter smile – here’s what you’ll need to know.
For most of us, the idea of having a whiter, brighter smile is amazing. It’s something that we help many of our clients achieve every day. At Dentist Mandy we are asked a lot about what the process involves, what whitening options exist and the kind of results you can expect.
Let’s look first at what causes teeth discolouration and why your teeth may not be as pearly white as you’d like.
Over our lifetime, our teeth can become discoloured due to many different factors including age, medications, smoking, disease, red wine, coffee or injuries. These factors can dim the brightness of our smiles.
It’s important to understand that your teeth have tiny pores in them. Whatever you consume can be absorbed in small amounts by these pores. Over years, this can discolour your teeth.
One way to look at the causes of tooth discolouration is to consider the current colour of your teeth.
Smoking can cause a yellow toned stain to your teeth.
Yellow tones may also be a result of:
If your teeth have brown stains, it could be due to:
White spots. Cavities and too much fluoride have been known to create white spots on your teeth that darken over time.
Black. Dental cavities and fillings can contribute to a blackening of teeth.
Purple. Red wine over an extended period of time can taint your teeth with a slight purple tone.
You’ve probably heard about the different types of teeth whitening systems and technology out there. It can be quite confusing to consider what the right fit is for your smile.
Broadly speaking teeth whitening can be divided into a few different types.
Over the counter whitening products
From whitening toothpastes to gel whitening strips, there are a whole range of whitening options you can get from your local pharmacy. Unfortunately though they tend not to be very effective. Most of these teeth whitening products only work on the tooth’s surface. This is because the concentration of hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen carbamide is too low to penetrate the enamel.
Professional dental treatments
There are a range of different teeth whitening treatments used by dentists. Some are more intense than others and, just like any procedure, the efficacy of products varies greatly. Some treatments include LED or ultrasonic based technology which are not suitable for everyone. Each clinic will utilise a different system and products.
What’s important to know is that you should always ensure that you have allowed enough time to consult with your dentist to ensure that the treatment they offer is suitable. For example, certain types of treatment are not safe for women during pregnancy.
In general, in chair whitening procedures use more intense teeth whitening products with higher concentrations of active ingredients. This leads to better and brighter results!
Take home teeth whitening kits
For many clients, the idea of take-home and on-the-go teeth whitening kits provide the best fit. From gel applications to trays, there are many different options you can explore. Any of these options should be discussed with your dentist before beginning. Ensure that your teeth are in good condition before you start on any teeth whitening procedure.
For us at Dentist Mandy, we understand that cosmetic dentistry is about more than just a pretty smile. Giving your smile an upgrade by lifting stain and colour from your teeth is a great way to feel more confident, be more aware of your overall dental health and well – make you enjoy smiling a little more.
Because of this, we’ve put a lot of time into selecting the best range of teeth whitening treatments. A good session with us will ensure that any cavities, cracks or decay you may have, are addressed, and that your teeth are free of plaque and tartar prior to whitening. This provides your teeth with the best start to the whitening process.
We’ve selected Melbourne based Pola as a highly effective, vegan and affordable teeth whitening system – both for in-chair treatments and as one of our take-home options. As a Bondi based clinic, we love that pola whitening products are all Australian made and created to fit perfectly into your lifestyle.
Pola Teeth Office Plus Whitening Systems, when applied to the tooth, break down into oxygen and water ions. These ions enter the enamel and break down the long stain molecules, removing the stains from the teeth. Your saliva then washes these stain molecules away leaving your teeth brighter each time.
Our professional whitening services are designed to be super easy. In fact, your whitening session can be done in as little as an hour with us. During the session, we will chat about the level of white you would like to achieve with your smile.
The intensity of stains and the shade you would like to achieve will determine how long your treatment will take. At any length – you will walk out of the clinic with a brighter smile.
When used under professional guidance, Pola take home whitening systems can give you your desired shade in just 30 minutes a day from the comfort and convenience of your home. This makes it ideal if you are wanting to whiten your teeth for a special event.
We offer Pola Day HP 9.5% as our take home whitening option. Pola Day HP 9.5% contains fluoride which protects your teeth from sensitivity and remineralises them at the same time. Using this product for just 30 minutes a day can produce results in a pretty short period of time. With this application, you need to have professionally made customised whitening trays to maximise the whitening benefits.
If customised trays aren’t quite what you were thinking, Opalescence Go pre filled whitening trays might be a better fit for you. These trays are designed to conform to any smile – so there are no impressions or molds required. Ready to use straight out of the box, they contains potassium nitrate and fluoride as well as 15% hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient to brighten your smile.
There are many touch up and on-the-go applications which can help you to create a whiter smile. Pola Luminate Teeth Whitening pen is one of the most effective tools on the market. A little daily application should see great results in just a short period of time.
As with any cosmetic treatment, results vary. The outcome of teeth whitening treatments relies on many different factors including the style of treatment you choose, the strength of the formulation and the level of colour of your existing smile. Your dentist will guide you through different levels of colourings to achieve a beautiful and natural looking result.
Pola whitening kits can whiten your teeth by up to six-eight shades lighter than their original colour. Together with your dentist, you can decide what shade is achievable and what will be the most natural option for your smile.
How long your newly whitened smile will last depends on many things, ranging from your genetics to lifestyle. Factors such as diet and smoking will have an impact on the longevity of your whitening results.
Regular check ups, professional cleaning and top-up sessions will create the best conditions for your teeth whitening results to last.
If you’re interested in exploring what the options are for whitening your teeth, we’d like to welcome you to discuss the possibilities with us.
