How often do you hear people describe someone as having “a beautiful smile?” It usually goes beyond exterior aesthetics and becomes descriptive of a person’s personality; someone with a beautiful smile is assumed to have a radiant, fun personality. Whether that’s a good assumption or not, it does exist, and many people who are not comfortable with their smiles don’t get to fully express their beautiful personalities. That’s why, as the premier experts in dental care, from emergency procedures to dental implants in Philadelphia, we’re doing a series of blog posts about ways to find your beautiful smile. Up this week is discolored teeth.
Causes and Prevention
There are various reasons why your teeth may get discolored or darkened. The most common, and easily avoidable, ones are drinking too much coffee, tea, colas and wines. Particularly in large quantities, they have a tendency to darken teeth. Similarly, tobacco and fruits/vegetables like apples and potatoes can stain your teeth. All of these are avoidable by decreasing or quitting the consumption or by maintaining better dental hygiene with adequate brushing and flossing that removes plaque and stain-causing substances from your teeth.
Causes that are harder to battle include medications, diseases, age, genetics and the environment. Age inevitably darkens teeth, while some medications and diseases, like certain antibiotics and chemotherapy, stain and discolor teeth. Furthermore, too much fluoride in the water you drink or the products you use can cause discoloration.
Treatments
Sometimes, in milder cases, cutting down and quitting the usage of products that cause discoloration can help. However, in many cases, for the best and most noticeable results we would recommend our bleaching procedures. When done by a professional, bleaching your teeth will lead to beautiful, natural results that can’t be achieved at home. Having your teeth bleached by a professional will also ensure you avoid any accidents, further discoloring or other unwanted results. The procedures are painless and quick, so please contact us directly if you’re interested in hearing more.
Veneers, discussed in our previous blog post, also work for making discolored teeth look whiter and more beautiful. They are a more extreme solution than teeth bleaching, but in some cases, they are the right option. Veneers will also help with other issues you may have with your smile, like hiding damage the teeth have received. For more information and finding out whether veneers could be the right choice for you, we recommend you contact us directly through our website or by calling 215-315-7691.