Four Common Remedies For Teeth Whitening
What causes teeth to become discoloured?
Unfortunately there are lots of things that will cause tooth discolouration. Some are simple to avoid, but many are certain. For smokers, the answer is fairly obvious - nicotine stains teeth and damages gums - prevention is way better than treatment in this case. Give it up before it is too late, or your may finish up at the dentist undergoing much more than minor treatment.
Harder to give up for some folks are the pepping-up caffeinated drinks : coffee, tea and colas. The damage is subtler and it might take years before you notice any effects at all - but cutting down on these drinks can stop the problem from worsening. Dark food and drinks,eg red wine, blackcurrant and black coffee may also cause teeth to become stained.
One of the most unavoidable causes of changes in tooth colour is time itself. The layer under the enamel on a tooth, called dentin, steadily gets darker with age. Sometimes too the antibiotics we took as a kid, or an accident that 'traumatized' the tooth - causing the root to 'die' - causes discolouration. An unfortunate side-effect of Root Canal treatment is the darkening of a tooth.
Can Anything Be Done To Reverse Tooth Discoloration?
More than half the population are unhappy with the colour of their teeth and the good news is there are a range of dental treatments available that will make a big difference. Four of the most common cures are Bonding, Tooth lightening, Veneers and Caps or Crowns.
Dental bonding is a straightforward method using resin on teeth. Bonding will lighten the any stains and cover any flaws with a thin plastic coating. It will last for 7-10 years.
Tooth lightening is a touch more controversial, as over-the-counter solutions are unproven and often ineffectual. Professional dental preparations are safe and will make a gigantic difference. It's a mild bleaching process that removes stains and revives teeth to their original colour. Most people will see an improvement after the very first treatment and after 2-4 weeks, your teeth will be a healthy natural colour.
Dental Veneers are another popular dental treatment for whitening teeth. They are custom-made porcelain facings that are glued without delay to the outside of your tooth. They are just one millimetre thick and the original tooth is 'shaved' by the equivalent amount so you wont notice any difference to the thickness of your tooth. Veneers are terribly proof against marking, which is an edge over porous bonding, but they may generally cost double what bonding costs per tooth.
Since the arrival of veneers, caps and crowns are used less often to enhance the appearance of teeth, but the extra coverage and strength a crown gives is profitable in a number of cases. The whole tooth above the gum-line is covered and the crown becomes, to all intents and purposes the new surface of the tooth. Crowns are usually a touch more pricey than veneers.
