Professional Tooth Whitening Can Help Those Coffee, Wine, and Everyday Stains
Let Lane Dentistry help brighten your smile.
A bright, vibrant smile is often the first thing people notice about you. It radiates health, vitality, and confidence. But if you take a closer look at your daily routine, you might realize that your favorite morning cup of coffee or wind-down glass of wine is working against your smile’s natural brilliance. Many people want a brighter smile without hiding their natural teeth behind complex restorations like veneers or crowns. They enjoy the unique shape and characteristics of their smile, but want a refreshed or vibrant look.
If you notice that your teeth are looking a little more yellow or duller than they used to be, you are alone. Lane Dentistry in Murfreesboro, Tenn., offers professional tooth whitening options that are safe, highly effective, and a predictable way to lift deep stains and reveal a brilliant smile makeover.
The Causes of Tooth Stains
To understand how professional teeth whitening works, it helps to first explore why teeth change color in the first place. Enamel, the outer layer of your teeth, is incredibly strong, but it is also porous. Over time, the dark pigments in the things we eat and drink can find their way into these pores, leading to persistent discoloration.
A few culprits of tooth staining include
Coffee and Tea: Coffee and tea are rich in organic chemical compounds called tannins. Tannins cause color pigments to stick to the enamel of your teeth. Over months and years of daily consumption, this leads to a noticeable, stubborn yellow or brown discoloration of your teeth.
Red Wine and Other Dark-Colored Beverages: If you enjoy winding down with a glass of red wine, you are introducing a powerful combination of tannins and high acidity to your teeth. The acid slightly etches the enamel surface, making it even easier for the deep red pigments in wine to bind to your smile. Similarly, dark sodas, sports drinks, and berry juices can leave behind dulling residues.
Food Choices: Beverages aren’t the only things that can cause tooth discoloration. A diet rich in deeply pigmented foods can gradually take a toll. Think of it this way: If a food or sauce would create a stubborn stain on a white cotton t-shirt, it has the potential to stain your teeth. Classic examples include soy sauce, tomato-based sauces, curries, and dark berries.
Tobacco Use: Lifestyle habits and time can also play major roles in tooth discoloration. Tobacco use, whether smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco, introduces tar and nicotine into your mouth. Tar is naturally dark, while nicotine turns yellow when it mixes with oxygen, creating severe, deeply embedded extrinsic stains.
Also, as we age, the outer layer of enamel naturally thins. This exposes the underlying layer of the tooth called dentin, which is naturally yellow. When aging enamel combines with decades of everyday food and drink stains, your smile can take on a significantly darker appearance.
Why Professional Tooth Whitening Makes a Difference
When you decide it’s time to brighten your smile, a quick trip to your local grocery store or pharmacy can feel overwhelming, with dozens of over the counter products available, from whitening strips to gels, toothpastes, and even rinses. But many people find these products really don’t work or achieve the brightness they are looking for.
That is why people looking to whiten their teeth should do so professionally at Lane Dentistry. Professional tooth whitening treatment uses stronger, higher quality whitening ingredients than can be bought in the store. Professional whitening formulas are medical grade, which allows them to penetrate below the surface of the enamel to break apart deep-seeded stains. Professional whitening treatments provide more coverage, meaning your teeth will end up more evenly whitened when compared to a whitening strip that can’t conform to every tooth’s shape.
At Lake Dentistry, we know that every smile is different, and we work with you to create a customized plan that is individual to you and your smile goals.
What to Expect During a Professional Whitening
At Lane Dentistry, we believe that achieving your dream smile should be a comfortable, transparent, and stress-free experience. We offer flexible options designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle, whether you prefer immediate results or the convenience of whitening at home.
For those wanting to whiten their smiles, we will first provide a full consultation where our team will evaluate your mouth, teeth, and gums, and discuss your whitening goals. From there, we discuss in-office and at-home professional whitening treatments.
For patients who choose to whiten their teeth in our Murfreesboro office, we use a laser for quick whitening treatments. You will see dramatic results in just one visit.
If you choose to whiten your teeth on your own time at home, first, we will fit you for custom trays. These custom fit trays hold their whitening solution, and our patients wear them for about an hour at a time for about a week. This is a more gradual approach to whitening, but results will be noticeable after just a few days.
Remember, results will vary depending on the condition of your teeth and enamel.
How to Keep Your Smile Whiter Longer
Once you have achieved your smile makeover, you’ll want to keep it looking pristine for as long as possible. Teeth whitening isn’t permanent, but you can extend the life of your results by limiting stain-causing food and drinks, keeping up with a proper oral health care routine, including flossing and brushing, and by drinking water throughout the day. Water can also serve as a quick rinse for your mouth after meals when brushing can’t happen right away.
Refresh your smile today.
Your smile is a reflection of your personality, so if you find yourself limiting your smile because you wish it were brighter, give Lane Dentistry a call today to schedule an appointment and discuss what your professional tooth whitening options are.
