The Pursuit of White Teeth

One fo the current marketing bonanzas sweeping the dental world is the push for whiter teeth. The dental industry as a while has been encouraging this for a while due to the large potential profits and the decrease in revenue from tooth repair as dental hygeine has gotten better.

Things to consider before jumping in

While tooth whitening can be a perfectly valid desire, it's important to analyze it from a logical, educated perspective rather than an emotional one before you go spending all that money.

First, realize that all of the celebrities you see with pearly white smiles don't have them naturally, either.

They got tooth whitening or had the recording you see digitally altered.

Dazzling white is not the natural color of tooth enamel, which actually ranges between light blue in young children to relatively dark yellow.

The older you get the darker and more yellow your teeth are going to become as the enamel oxidizes through contact with the air.

You'll have to either repeat the whitening process or get high maintenance overlays.

In addition to being temporary, chemical tooth bleaching can cause several adverse effects.

Because tooth enamel oxidizes over time, whenever you bleach your teeth they will slowly get yellow again.

If you want to keep the white effect, you'll have to redo it from time to time.

Bleaching is also the only alternative to tooth overlays.

The possible side effects of tooth bleaching include unnatural-looking teeth, increased tooth nerve sensitivity to heat and cold, and irritation to the gums.

Physically uncomfortable side effects, such as sensitivity or irritation, are usually only short term side effects.

However, if the bleaching chemicals are applied badly, either by an untrained person or a sloppy dentist, tooth or gum damage can be permanent.

If performing tooth whitening at home, do be sensible, follow all directions carefully, and don't try it for too long or too often.

Venners come in laminate and porcelain.

Porcelain is higher quality, but quite expensive.

Laminate is more delicate, but also within more budgets.

Both must be applied by a qualified dentist, as must crowns.

Crowns are the most expensive option, but also the most complete and permanent.

All of these options involve permanent changes to your teeth and you usually cannot change your mind later, so be very sure you want to do this before taking the plunge.

Since tooth whitening by any means is not an emergency procedure, do take the time to shop around for a dentist you really trust and get along with.

Dentists should be able to provide you with certifications in whitening procedures and some before and after pictures of their work.

In addition, a competent dentist won't rush or pressure you into any dental procedure.

Instead, a competent dentist will sit down with you and discuss all options and potential risks so you can make the best decision possible.

Analyze whether you really want dazzling white teeth.

If you just want surface stains removed, such as from coffee or smoking, your dentist can usually take care of that with a good cleaning and bleaching is not necessary.

Once you've made a sound, informed decision that you really do want cosmetic tooth whitening, decide on the best method for you.

No matter what you decide, use the information you find to fully enjoy your lifetime of healthy teeth, no matter what color they might be.