A white smile communicates all kinds of things to the person who sees it. A bright white smile looks young, healthy, and well maintained. White smiles share a luminous quality that can light up a room.
If you feel like your smile is currently dulled or stained, you might start to feel less confident about your smile. But you don’t have to live with these cosmetic issues—there are many cosmetic dentistry treatments that lighten stains and rejuvenate your smile.
The first treatment that most people think of when they consider whitening their smile is professional dental whitening. This treatment utilizes gels or pastes with carbamide or hydrogen peroxide to neutralize existing stains. This treatment often works well to minimize environmental staining (discoloration that has accumulated over time from foods, drinks, tobacco products, etc).
These whitening treatments are highly effective, but there are certain dental conditions which do not respond to professional whitening. If you have tetracycline stains, for example, or a damaged dental nerve/root that causes discoloration, you might need to pursue alternative treatments. Here are a few options:
Dental bonding—this treatment process involves our dentist covering the dental enamel with a thin layer of dental resin. This resin looks natural, and can be custom shaded. This is a quick and comfortable way to refresh unsightly teeth.
Dental veneer/Lumineer—both veneers and Lumineers are thin dental restorations—made of porcelain—that our dentist then affixes to visible surface of the tooth. These restorations are personalized for each patient—the size, shape, and color of every veneer/Lumineer is designed to enhance the patient’s overall appearance and blend with his or her natural teeth.
No matter what the current state of your smile, our Glendale cosmetic dentists can help you uncover a fresher, whiter smile using cosmetic dentistry. Let’s get started!