Why Whiter Teeth Sometimes Means Healthier Teeth
A look at one of the positive side effects of a teeth whitening procedure.
It is fair to say that most people who come to our long-established Epsom dental practice for a teeth whitening procedure do so because they want a whiter and nicer looking smile. This makes sense, and a teeth whitening procedure is generally considered to be purely cosmetic with no ‘health’ benefits.
On the surface of things, this is true; however, for some people, having their teeth whitened also brings a change of attitude towards their oral health.
If you have never had your teeth whitened, you may not have noticed it, but your teeth will almost certainly have become darker than when you were a child. Some of this is likely to be surface staining; from tea, coffee and perhaps cigarettes, but some also occurs because the internal part of our teeth darken over time, causing our teeth to look discoloured.
Maintaining a whiter smile
There are two reasons why someone who has had their teeth whitened may start to look after them better. First of all, it is only natural that if we have nice looking teeth, we are going to want to keep them that way for as long as possible. There is little point in having your teeth whitened if you are going to let them degrade quickly, potentially leading to decay and fillings.
In addition to this, once your teeth have been whitened, they will eventually darken again. Whilst the whitening treatment can be repeated without any risk to your teeth, it still makes sense to try to keep your teeth as white as you can, for as long as possible. This is where a teeth whitening toothpaste may prove useful and although these will make minimal difference to someone with discoloured teeth, once they have been whitened, use of this type of paste may help to prolong the whiteness.
Make sure to discuss this with your dentist though, as some teeth whitening toothpastes work through the addition of extra abrasives and can cause damage to the enamel on your teeth if used over zealously.
Instant results
Our patients here at the Clock Tower Dental Clinic will be pleased to know that we offer the very fast acting Zoom 2 teeth whitening system. Unlike some home whitening kits which can take up to two weeks to work, this method allows us to whiten your teeth within our practice and takes approximately one hour. During this time, once the whitening gel has been applied and activated, you can just relax and read or watch TV whilst the process takes place. Once it is completed, your teeth will be up to eight shades whiter than before, resulting in a great new, confident smile!
If you would like to find out more about having your teeth whitened at our Epsom dental practice please call us today on 01372 720136.