Introduction
When you look into the mirror and dream about a dazzling smile, what’s the first thing you notice?
The color of your teeth. Most people do.
A radiant white smile is an instantaneous signal of good oral health, youth, and confidence. When considering your smile makeover, teeth whitening is the first step to take.
In today’s beauty world, where everyone is conscious about their fashion and style statement, your smile is the best ornament you can wear to win the trend. Thanks to rising social media trends, 90% of patients are now seeking cosmetic dentistry for whitening their teeth.
In this article, we will walk you through the different types of teeth whitening options, their procedures, and why they should be considered first. Let’s dive deeper into your smile makeover journey.
What Is A Smile Makeover?
A smile makeover can create a stunning transformation, often involving one or more dental procedures. It mainly focuses on improving the appearance of your teeth, gums, and overall smile.
The common procedures for a smile makeover include teeth whitening in Charlotte, veneers, Invisalign or braces, dental bonding, implants or crowns, and gum contouring. The ultimate goal of a smile makeover is to create a harmonious and balanced smile that complements your facial features and reflects your personality.
Why Start With Teeth Whitening?
Although there are multiple procedures for smile makeover, dentists universally recommend starting your journey to your dream smile with whitening. Here are some reasons why-
Sets Proper Shade for Future Restorations
Procedures like veneers, crowns, or fillings are customized based on your teeth colour, and these do not react to whitening agents. Hence, if these procedures are done before whitening, they will look darker compared to your newly whitened natural teeth. By undergoing the whitening process early, all your future dental work can be customized to match your new smile.
Cost-Effective and Minimally Invasive
Teeth whitening is one of the most affordable cosmetic dental procedures. There are two types of procedures: in-office teeth whitening and do-it-yourself teeth whitening kits. Both procedures are inexpensive,, and neither involves anesthesia or recovery time. It offers immediate results in most cases.
Better Oral Hygiene Habits
Once you get your teeth whitened, your dentist in Charlotte will suggest a few rules that you must follow to ensure the longevity of your whitening procedure. So, it is more likely that you will become committed to better oral hygiene practices if you were not previously. This includes brushing and flossing daily, avoiding stain-causing foods, and visiting the dentist more often.
This positive shift not only ensures the longer lifespan of whitening procedures but also helps improve oral health, which is crucial for any subsequent smile makeover procedures.
Common Causes of Tooth Discoloration
Before getting the procedure of tooth whitening done, you should understand the root causes of discoloration- There are two types of stains- extrinsic and intrinsic stains.
Extrinsic Stains
They are decalcifications that appear on the outer surface of your enamel and form a hard, protective layer of your teeth. They build over time and are usually caused by external factors like consumption of beverages like coffee, tea, red wine, smoking or using tobacco, having food items made with dark-colored sauces, and poor oral hygiene.
Intrinsic Stains
They are located within the structure of your tooth, like in the dentin or even deeper. These stains are harder to treat as they originate from inside the tooth rather than due to any external factors.
The common causes of intrinsic stains are aging, medications, tooth trauma, or fluorosis. It causes gray, blue, or brown discoloration and deep, uneven staining that does not respond to any surface-level whitening.
What Are The Options for Teeth Whitening?
There are several ways to whiten your teeth, and each of them has its own pros and cons. Here is a breakdown for each of the procedures-
In-Office Whitening
This procedure is done by our expert dental professionals. They will use high-concentration hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide gels, which may be activated using a special LED light or laser.
Your gums are covered with a protective barrier, and then the strong whitening gel is applied to your teeth. Then it may be reapplied every 15-20 minutes during the session. The session typically lasts 60-90 minutes..
Professional Take-Home Kits
Here, your dentist will prescribe you separate whitening kits which will include custom-molded trays and a professional-grade whitening gel containing 10-35% carbamide peroxide. You need to wear the trays at home for a specified time each day over a period of 1-2 weeks.
In this treatment procedure, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth. Custom-fit trays will be made and delivered to you, apply the gel into the trays, and wear for 30 minutes to several hours. It will gradually whiten your teeth four to six shades lighter.
Over-The-Counter Whitening Products
These are easily accessible and available at drugstores or online. It includes whitening strips, toothpaste, pens, rinses, and LED kits. To get the best results, you need to follow the instructions that are provided with the product.
This does not require dental supervision, but it does not give as good results as the other professional procedures. Using this, you will achieve whitening only two to three shades lighter, which is far less in comparison to other methods. Also, it takes two to four weeks of daily use to see changes.
Proper Sequence of Your Smile Makeover
It is performed at the initial stage or the start of your smile makeover, as it sets the baseline for the shade of your smile.
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Day 1: Teeth Whitening
It is performed at the initial stage or starting of your smile makeover as it sets the baseline for the shade of your smile.
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Weeks 1-2: Invisalign or Orthodontic Intervention
If you have crooked or misaligned teeth, the second phase of your smile makeover includes fixing the misalignment, improving your bite, and symmetry.
It is done after whitening, as most patients wish to whiten their teeth before starting on their Invisalign for an instant boost in their confidence. Also, aligners help maintain the whiteness, and future touch-ups are also easier if needed.
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Week 2-4: Veneers or Crowns, Dental Bonding
This helps restore or aesthetically enhance in case you have chipped, discolored, misshapen, or worn down teeth using porcelain, composite, or ceramic restorations.
This process involves shade matching, and this requires extreme precision to give you a seamless smile. Placing restorations before whitening usually leads to mismatched tones of your teeth. Then the only solution to fix that is to get replacements, which is a costly affair in itself.
Takeaway
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A smile makeover can be an exciting journey to a new beginning with a new smile.
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Teeth whitening is the simplest yet most impactful starting point. It is affordable, safe, and an instant boost of confidence for you.
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Change the way you smile, connect with our experts at Smile Charlotte today!
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