Teeth Whitening
Irvine, CA
 Our team at Irvine Dentistry is always thrilled to make your smile brighter through a teeth whitening procedure. This process ensures your teeth are free from unpleasant stains wrought by age, lifestyle, or even heredity factors. After a successful whitening procedure your overall appearance will improve. At the same time your self-esteem should get a positive boost.
Teeth whitening helps clear stains and discoloration from teeth, whatever the cause. It is one of the most sought after cosmetic dental procedures that advancing science has greatly improved over the years.
Reasons for Teeth Whitening
The tooth may seem like a simple bony structure filling your gum, but it has a more complex make-up than is visible to the eye. The outer layer is referred to as the enamel. Your teeth obtain their tint from a reflection which is created by light's scattering reflection off of the enamel. The underlying color of dentin, found within the tooth, is combined with the noted reflection. How thick or smooth your enamel is, is determined by genes. When this enamel gets thinner, the color of dentin is easily noticed. In case the enamel is smooth or rough, this automatically affects light's reflection, hence color.
Each passing day, pellicle, which is a thin coating, is created on the enamel. It grabs all stains that pass over the tooth. The enamel exhibits some pores too. They also pick up stains on teeth. Common culprits for tooth discoloration include smoking. Tobacco use is known to stain teeth besides leaving one with unpleasant breath.
Dark liquids like tea, coffee, and cocoa also stain teeth. Poorly cared for teeth develop discoloration too. Aging is another reason teeth darken, leaving an unsightly smile. All of these causes are often difficult to avoid as lifestyles sometimes dictate what people eat or use. The best path to take therefore is to initiate a whitening procedure.
Preparation and Procedure
When you visit our dental office, an overall inspection of your teeth will be performed. This is to ensure there are no underlying issues before finally beginning the whitening process. For example, you cannot receive tooth whitening if there are cavities. The mouth inspection will check on all these factors, and if there are any concerns, they will be treated first.
The procedure may be within our office or at home, with supplied products. If you call on our office dentist, photographs of your teeth will be taken to help observe the course of treatment. The teeth will be checked, and questions asked for a clear understanding of the cause for staining.
The teeth will next be cleaned by a hygienist who will also remove any food particles or build-up that is the reason for staining. After cleaning, your teeth are ready for whitening.
During the process, a whitening gel is applied to your tooth surface. This contains hydrogen peroxide. It is activated by shining a laser beam that quickens the bleaching process. Whitening takes between 30 and 90 minutes. You may be given further appointments, depending on the state of your teeth, extent of discoloration, and your expectation of final results.
Schedule Your Appointment
For more information on teeth whitening, do get in touch with our team. Contact us at Irvine Dentistry at (949) 656-2933 to book your appointment. |
