Dress up your smile!
Ever wonder how movie stars get their dazzling
white smiles? Chances are they weren’t born with
it. For most people, coffee, tea, smoking, berries
and other substances that get into microscopic
cracks of tooth enamel cause discoloration over
time. When the color of our teeth makes us
embarrassed to smile, it’s most likely time to
whiten them.
Teeth that have been discolored by age are the
best candidates for whitening (bleaching)
treatments. When done by a dentist, a bleaching
agent is applied to your teeth and then activated
with a special light. It may take several treatments
at 30-60 minutes each to reach your desired level
of whitening.
If you have tooth-colored resin or composite fillings in your teeth, those will not lighten
and a whitening treatment is often not recommended. Porcelain veneers are a form of
cosmetic dentistry in which a layer of tooth-colored porcelain or composite is placed
over the surfaces of your teeth. This is done in order to correct chipped and cracked
enamel as well as any imperfections in color, alignment or spacing.
There are also a number of over-the-counter whitening treatments available but they
often do not provide the level of whitening that a dentist’s office can. A dentist is your
best resource when it comes to the health and brightness of your smile. If you have
questions about what is right for your teeth, contact your local dentist for more
information.
Cosmetic dental treatments, such as teeth whitening, may not be a covered benefit
under your benefit plan. Contact your dental insurance company for more information.