Are you unhappy with your stained teeth? Do you want an instant confidence boost? Cosmetic dentist Dr. Stefan Speck is here to help patients brighten and whiten their smiles with his cosmetic whitening treatments. He offers in-office and take-home teeth whitening treatment at Oxford Family Dentistry in Oxford, PA. If you have tougher stains, he can provide cosmetic dental treatments to help.
What Causes Tooth Discoloration?
Many different things can discolor your teeth. Common causes of tooth stains include:
Poor Oral Hygiene
One of the most common is poor oral hygiene. If you aren’t brushing and flossing your teeth properly, bacteria and food particles build up. This creates a sticky film on your teeth called plaque that eventually hardens into tartar. It turns yellow and brown, becoming difficult to remove with your dental tools at home.
Tobacco
Smoking or using chewing tobacco can turn your teeth yellow or even brown over time. This happens because tobacco contains sticky chemicals like tar and nicotine that cling to your teeth. Every time you smoke or chew tobacco, these substances build up, staining the enamel (the hard outer layer of your teeth). The more you use tobacco, the worse the stains get, and regular brushing alone usually can’t remove them.
Aging
Our teeth naturally discolor as we age. The bright white layer of enamel on the outside of our teeth slowly wears away with time. It exposes more of the off-white layer underneath, called dentin. Dentin is what we target with traditional teeth whitening solutions.
Food and Drinks
Eating and drinking certain foods and beverages can stain your teeth. These include coffee, black tea, strawberries, red wine, dark colas or sodas, and more. The more you consume these things, the worse the effect will be on your teeth. If you’re consuming a drink that stains, try to drink through a straw so that it has less contact with your teeth.
Medicine and Medical Problems
Medications and different medical conditions can also discolor your teeth. Certain antibiotics taken when you’re young can impact how your teeth develop, leading to white spots. Other medical conditions can affect how well the enamel develops on your teeth.
Genetics
Your genes can also affect how easily your teeth stain or change color. Some people are born with naturally thinner tooth enamel, which is the hard, white outer layer that protects your teeth.
If your enamel is thinner, the yellowish layer underneath shows through more. Thinner enamel also means stains from food, drinks, or smoking can set in faster because there’s less protection. So even if you take good care of your teeth, you might still notice discoloration sooner than someone with thicker enamel.
Dental Injuries
A hard hit to your tooth can also cause discoloration. If the tooth gets injured, it can cut off blood flow and make the tooth look gray or “dead.” Sometimes, trauma makes the tooth produce too much dentin. Even if the tooth doesn’t die, it might still change color after an injury.
In-Office and Take-Home Teeth Whitening
Dr. Speck can coordinate teeth whitening treatment in his Oxford, PA, dental office. He can also provide his patients with customized take-home whitening kits.
Types of teeth whitening include:
In-Office Whitening
Patients who want immediate results can benefit from in-office teeth whitening. To begin this whitening treatment, Dr. Speck applies a barrier on the gums to minimize gum sensitivity. This barrier also ensures that the whitening solution is concentrated on the teeth.
Then, Dr. Speck applies whitening gel to the teeth, leaving it for several minutes before removing it. Dr. Speck repeats this process until the enamel matches your desired tooth shade. In-office teeth whitening treatment can also benefit patients attending special events who want to look their best.
Take-Home Whitening
You can also whiten your teeth at home with take-home whitening kits. But you must first visit Dr. Speck’s office for dental impressions.
We use these impressions to create custom-made teeth whitening trays. At home, you apply the whitening gel to the trays and wear them for a set time. Take-home teeth whitening is a great option for patients with tooth sensitivity.
Other Cosmetic Whitening Options
Patients with intrinsic or deep tooth stains may benefit from dental veneers or tooth bonding. Intrinsic tooth stains are often caused by tooth wear, which shows the dark underlayer beneath the tooth enamel. This underlayer, called dentin, can make the teeth appear darker or discolored. Dental veneers are porcelain ceramic shells bonded to the front of teeth. Tooth bonding treatment uses a malleable biocompatible material sculpted onto the tooth enamel.
Both veneers and dental bonding can be color-matched to match the patient’s desired shade. These long-lasting cosmetic restorations may also address dental injuries or large gaps between teeth.
Teeth Whitening FAQs
Professional teeth whitening is the best choice to treat tooth discoloration. Learn more by reading the answers to these frequently asked questions about teeth whitening in our Oxford, PA, dental office:
What are the rules after teeth whitening?
To keep your teeth bright, avoid beverages that can easily stain your teeth like coffee, tea, red wine, dark juices, and soda. While we know it is hard to avoid some of these, they can darken your teeth very fast. We suggest limiting your consumption and trying to drink through a straw.
Also limit or avoid foods that can stain your teeth. Avoid dark berries, artificially colored candy, chocolate, and dark sauces.
Will smoking affect my teeth whitening treatment?
Smoking is not only bad for your health and oral health, but it can also affect the appearance of your teeth. Tobacco use produces brown and yellow stains on your teeth. Don’t use tobacco products after teeth whitening treatment. Smoking will re-stain your teeth almost instantly.
Does professional teeth whitening cause permanent tooth sensitivity?
Tooth sensitivity after professional whitening is normal but not permanent. If you experience tooth sensitivity after your treatment, it should fade within a few days. We may recommend that you avoid super hot or cold foods or drinks after treatment. You can also use toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
Is it safe to have my teeth professionally whitened?
Professional teeth whitening is completely safe. It has been safely used for many years by dentists. They are highly trained to administer the treatment safely and controlled. It also carries fewer risks than whitening your teeth at home with store-bought solutions.
Will a store-bought whitening treatment work just as well?
Over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments may be tempting because they are inexpensive. But they are not as effective. You may also get uneven results if you do not apply the treatment correctly. You may never see results for some of these products, or it will take months.
Does professional teeth whitening harm my tooth enamel?
Professional teeth whitening won’t harm your tooth enamel when done correctly. Our office uses special whitening gels that are stronger than store-bought kits, but we also take steps to protect your gums and teeth during the treatment.
Brighten Your Smile Today
Do you want white teeth? Ask us about our cosmetic teeth whitening in Oxford, PA. Contact Oxford Family Dentistry by calling 610.981.1320 today. You can also schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Speck on our website.