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When your teeth come in as a child, they’re typically quite white. Everyone has a natural brightness to their teeth. This brightness, however, can dull over time.
The foods and liquids you consume (e.g., coffee, tea, and red wine) can stain your teeth, as can tobacco products, certain medications, and even some mouth rinses.
Plaque and tartar, which build up without regular dental cleanings, can also cause discoloration on your teeth. Age, trauma, various medical conditions, and genetics may affect the color of your teeth.
Fortunately, there are ways to whiten your teeth, brighten your smile, and improve your confidence. Teeth whitening can last years depending on the type of whitening treatment you choose. There are several methods of whitening your teeth both at the dentist’s office and at home.
Here are three professional teeth whitening options to brighten your smile that a dental professional can do for you in a dental office:
There are also tons of home whitening kits available to whiten your teeth on your own or provide a touch-up to prolong a professional whitening job.
Laser teeth whitening uses professional equipment to give you those pearly whites. The dentist will cover your gums and lips, and they’ll coat your teeth with a peroxide gel. From there, the dentist will use a laser to activate the gel’s bleaching agent, which will whiten your teeth. It can lighten your teeth up to several shades.
The laser teeth whitening process isn’t cheap. It can cost about $500 and up for one treatment. However, the results will last for several months.
These are the most common over-the-counter teeth whitening options available. These are much cheaper than professional whitening treatments. Most over-the-counter teeth whitening products cost well under $50.
How often you should whiten your teeth depends on if you choose a professional teeth whitening solution or over-the-counter products to whiten your teeth. While a professional procedure may only require one visit, toothpastes are to be used daily, and strips and gels are to be used daily for a designated period of time.
How long it takes to whiten your teeth also depends entirely on the type of teeth whitening solution you choose.
While professional teeth whitening procedures generally take about an hour and may show immediate results, over-the-counter products may take just minutes to use but up to weeks to see results.
It’s not bad to whiten your teeth so long as you choose a safe method and practice regular dental care. Whitening strips, gels, toothpastes, and other remedies are dentist-approved methods of whitening your teeth.
Teeth sensitivity varies for everyone. It may last longer or feel more intense, depending on the teeth whitening solution you’ve chosen, as well. Typically, however, you should feel better within a few hours or up to about 48 hours at most.
Teeth whitening won’t last forever. However, there are ways that you can prolong the brightened appearance of your teeth. Practice proper oral hygiene and stay away from foods, liquids, and products that can stain your teeth.
Getting your teeth professionally whitened will likely last longer than using over-the-counter products to whiten your teeth. If you use whitening products like toothpaste daily, you can prolong the brightened appearance of your teeth at home.
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