Get Whiter Teeth For Your ‘Valentine Smile’

February 14th isn’t so far away. Now is a good time to work on achieving a whiter smile!

The first ‘major’ event for some of us, following the Christmas and New Year festivities, is Valentine’s day. Whilst this probably won’t affect everyone who is reading this blog, there will be some, no doubt, who are wondering what to do to make this a special occasion and what they can do for themselves to make it a day to remember for their other half. Whilst some things like red roses and romantic dinners still stand, that doesn’t mean that you can’t add to that by impressing them with a brand new, whiter, smile.

Unfortunately, there isn’t really a great deal that you can do about your stained or discoloured teeth solely with improved home care. Whilst there are ‘at home’ teeth whitening kits that are available, some will be less effective due to legal restrictions on the amount of whitening ingredients allowed in these products. Only teeth whitening treatments provided directly by a qualified dentist will enable you to reach the whiteness you hope for.

Why bother?

You might ask why you should bother, especially if you have been with your partner for a while now. They will, of course, have become used to your teeth however stained or discoloured they are. Whilst this might be true, it can only be a positive thing to do something that will help put a little extra ‘spark’ into your relationship and a whiter smile can certainly help to do that.

In addition to the above, having a whiter smile can make you feel more positive and confident about yourself. No more trying not to smile in front of others because you have unsightly teeth. Many patients of Alexandra Dental Care that have had this procedure have found that this is an unexpected bonus, on top of having a visibly more attractive smile, following the treatment.

Surface staining

One common reason for discoloured teeth is staining of the surface tooth enamel. This often happens in people who eat or drink a lot of staining products. Included in this category are tea and coffee, red wine (and even white!), dark coloured berries, soy sauce and more products that we can list here. Anyone who smokes, or who has smoked, is also very likely to notice a yellow appearance to their teeth. Some of this can be removed during a scale and polish procedure provided by the hygienist at our Burton and Ashby dental practice, but for a more thorough whiteness, a teeth whitening procedure is more effective.

Deeper discolouration

But, you might say, I clean my teeth well and avoid anything that might stain my teeth, and yet they are still dull and discoloured. This can, and does happen, and nearly always in people ‘of a certain age’. The reality is that when we get older, the inner part of our teeth, known as ‘dentin’ starts to darken in colour and this will show through the translucent enamel protecting it. Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do to prevent this from happening  and it is just a fact of life and one of those things that happens as we get older.

Even a scale and polish won’t touch this part of the tooth, and a teeth whitening procedure will be needed if you want to have whiter teeth once this has occurred.

How does it work?

Unlike a scale and polish which cleans and polishes the surface enamel of the tooth, a teeth whitening procedure uses a safe form of bleach which is able to reach the dentin part of the tooth and lighten it, making your teeth appear whiter again. Although this will eventually darken after a while, the effect does last for a significant period of time and the treatment can be repeated, if you wish, as often as you want with no risk to your teeth.

A teeth whitening procedure is a non-invasive treatment and most people have no side effects from it. There are a small number of people who do experience a little additional sensitivity in their teeth, following the procedure, but this is usually relatively mild and short lived.

So if you are from Burton, Ashby or Swadlincote, and are planning a romantic surprise for your loved one on Valentine’s day, why not give the day an additional boost by surprising them with your new and whiter smile? If you would like to talk to us about this treatment or simply to arrange an appointment with us, please call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347 and speak to one of our friendly reception staff who will book a convenient appointment for you.

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