Who is a good candidate for professional teeth whitening?
Article by Penelope Stone
If you have tried at-home products to brighten your smile and received unsatisfactory results, it may be time to consider professional teeth whitening services from a cosmetic dentist. Some tooth discoloration is too profound or too sever for the at-home products to handle. If you have tried these methods and still need help with discolored teeth or stained teeth, then you should consider professional teeth whitening.
Professional Teeth Whitening ConsiderationsThe ideal professional teeth whitening candidate will be someone in overall good physical and mental health, with no significant dental problems, like tooth decay or gingivitis. Teeth whitening candidates should be well-informed about the likely outcome of the procedure as well as any possible risks associated with the chemical used or the procedure undertaken.
Professional whitening can have dramatic results; however, if you have severe teeth discoloration and stains, you may need to undergo several whitening procedures before an acceptable result is reached. Common risks associated with professional teeth whitening include sensitivity, tenderness, and pain of your gums and tongue.
If you have particularly sensitive teeth and/or gums, you may not want to risk the side effect of increased gum sensitivity and pain. Check with your regular dentist for an evaluation of your likelihood of suffering these side effects before making a final decision about teeth whitening.
Since over-bleaching can result in a grayish discoloration (and even though this is an uncommon occurrence when the procedure is performed by an experienced and qualified dentist), you’ll want to be aware of this possibility. An ideal candidate for professional whitening services will have the procedure performed on only natural teeth because bleaching caps, crowns, and other dental devices are unaffected by the procedure. Consequently, you may end up with an uneven tone between teeth, making discoloration more noticeable than it was before the teeth whitening procedure.
Additionally, the ideal professional teeth whitening candidate will be a non-smoker and will be willing to eliminate or greatly reduce the amount of coffee, tea, cola, and red wine they consume. Consumption of these products may cause discoloration and stains to return.
About the Author
Find a Minneapolis cosmetic dentist, teeth whitening, or general dentistry professional.
