Is your smile bright and white? Or could your teeth use a “lift”?
First impressions count, in work and in life. Along with your eyes, your smile (or lack thereof) is the first thing most people will notice about you – so you want it to shine.
Many people are embarrassed by a less-than-stellar smile. This is primarily due to the state of one’s teeth – which can be a consequence of genetics, ageing, a facial injury, poor oral hygiene, or certain lifestyle habits such as a high-sugar diet or cigarette smoking. Discoloured, stained, or dull teeth are unsightly and can be a major drain on our self confidence (not to mention that they are often accompanied by stale or smelly breath).
What Makes a Beautiful Smile?
Some people are genetically blessed with perfect teeth and a facial bone structure that translates to a spectacular smile. But even without Silver-Screen good looks, we can all achieve a more appealing appearance by maintaining healthy, clean, white teeth. This also boosts our confidence, making us more inclined to show off those pearly whites!
Various dental interventions are available for improving your smile. These include:
· Orthodontics to straighten crooked teeth
· Dentures or implant dentistry to replace missing teeth
· Root canal therapy (endodontics) to treat dead teeth
· General and preventative dentistry to optimise and maintain oral and dental health
· Teeth whitening procedures to resolve discolouration and staining
The Cause of Tooth Discolouration
Most of our childhood teeth (both milk/baby and permanent) are a bright shade of white or ivory with a lustrous sheen. Unfortunately, as we grow older, the hard enamel that coats and protects the teeth will lose this lustre. Teeth can also develop a yellow tinge and even become stained.
Why does this happen? Teeth are porous and vulnerable to absorbing tiny amounts of food, drinks, and other substances they are exposed to. This includes (but is not limited to) coffee, black tea, red wine, beetroot, cola and other carbonated drinks, sugary items, liquorice, and by-products of smoking cigarettes and vaping.
This can also be influenced by our oral hygiene habits, whether or not we visit the dentist regularly, our food and drink choices, and whether we smoke or vape. The ageing process also plays a role, as do our family history and genetics. Exposure to certain illnesses in childhood, use of certain drugs and medicines, dental infection, gum disease, and facial trauma also influence the appearance of our teeth. The protective presence of fluoride in our drinking water supply also plays a role.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening can be a simple way to dramatically improve your smile according to this experienced dentist in Park Hills MO. Even without the straightest teeth, minimising dullness and stains is a great investment that makes a big difference.
In-Chair Whitening is a professional procedure that is customised for you and performed by your dentist in their clinic. It uses prescription-grade, concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution that is applied to your teeth and activated by a laser. It is the most effective way to brighten and whiten your teeth.
Some dentists may offer Custom Tray Bleaching. Used at home, this reliable system uses dental trays which are custom fitted to your mouth and are filled with whitening solution. They are then worn in the mouth for a specific period daily over several days or weeks.
You can enhance and extend these results by using a whitening toothpaste, which cleans the mouth and removes those minor, transient surface stains caused by foods and drinks. Whitening toothpaste can also restore some lustre if used consistently over time.
Teeth whitening is best achieved when you work with your dentist. Whether you have an in-clinic whitening procedure or follow you dentist’s advice and use the specific dental supplies in Adelaide or near you that they recommend, doing this rather than opting for a generic, over-the-counter product will elicit the best results.
Pay a visit to your dentist for advice and solutions to say hello to your very best smile!