We have patients visiting us from across Brampton, Caledon, and the surrounding areas.
Our smiles can be the most eye-catching when our teeth look beautifully white. Unfortunately, this youthful appearance can change due to stains from soft drinks, coffee, tea, and tobacco.
Naturally, the colour of teeth range from light grey to yellow. It is normal for teeth to discolour with age which can be due to stains and dental plaque. An excellent oral hygiene routine can prevent and remove these surface stains. Teeth can even appear lighter or darker depending on your skin tone and makeup.
To help you restore your gleaming, bright white smile and to give you an added boost of confidence, we offer many whitening options, such as custom whitening kits. We offer surface whiteners and bleaches.
Although Health Canada sees tooth whitening as a cosmetic procedure, being self-conscious of tooth colour can be a very real anxiety! Please contact us today to find out more about these options and which one is best for you.
Why do your teeth get darker and yellower?
- Age
- It is a natural process for the outside white enamel to wear away and the inside yellow dentin to get denser and shine through the enamel
- Foods/Drinks
- Coffee-lovers, tea and red wine drinkers are the culprits. The stain comes from Chromagens (staining molecules) that bind to the enamel
- Smoking/Chewing tobacco & other substances
- The smoke from cigarettes and other smokeables, as well as chewing tobacco contains substances that stain: Tar and Nicotine. Tar can lead to black deposits on the teeth, Nicotine can turn the enamel yellow
- Trauma
- If you hurt your tooth, the tooth may darken because the dentin naturally thickens in response to injury
- The tooth may “bruise” meaning that blood-borne products remain in the tooth and can take a long time to heal
- Medications
- Taken during pregnancy and tooth development as a child/young adult. If a child is exposed to certain medications like tetracycline during this time span, their baby teeth and/or adult teeth may be affected.
- Common medications that can darken are: acne medication, tetracycline, chemotherapy, antipsychotics
- Taken during pregnancy and tooth development as a child/young adult. If a child is exposed to certain medications like tetracycline during this time span, their baby teeth and/or adult teeth may be affected.
Does Whitening work on all teeth?
No. Whitening can only work on your natural tooth structure but some types of tooth discolourations will not work with conventional whiteners which is why it is important to talk to your dentist at Lakeridge Dental. Surface whitening agents use unique abrasives toi help with removing surface stains. However, this treatment is not an alternative to a professional dental cleaning and hygiene appointment.
Teeth that bleach well are: yellow, plaque-free, calculus-free teeth.
Teeth that do not bleach well are: unclean teeth, brown teeth, grey teeth, crowns, veneers, restorations, darkening due to some medications or trauma.
For these special cases, talk to our team at Lakeridge dental to determine which type of whitening is the best choice for you.
Whitening options
- Whitening toothpaste
- All toothpastes help to whiten the teeth with special dental abrasives that remove the surface stains.
- In-office bleaching
- One or more dental visits. A protective isolator is placed on top of your gums to protect them and a whitening gel is applied
- At-home bleaching
- Molds are taken and custom whitening trays are made. At home, you will apply the peroxide-based gel and wear the trays at the prescribed interval by your dentist.
Dentist Pro Tip
one of the most common side-effects of bleaching is short-term sensitivity. Prevent this and decrease the incidence by using a desensitizing toothpaste for 2 weeks before, during and weeks after bleaching
Contact us for a teeth whitening appointment today!