Options For Treating Dental Staining
When a person's teeth develop noticeable discoloration, they can experience embarrassment when they show their smile. Luckily, tooth discoloration is a problem that can be treated with a variety of options so that you can enjoy the most attractive smile possible.
Whitening Kits
For patients that are experiencing tooth discoloration, whitening kits can be one of the first solutions that they may attempt. Generally, these kits are fairly effective for light staining. However, they are insufficient for deep or particularly dark stains, and they may need to be used more frequently in order to maintain the color of the teeth. Lastly, these kits can be damaging to the teeth if they are improperly used, which makes it essential to exactly follow the instructions on the packaging.
Professional Treatments
Particularly deep or severe stains will typically need to be addressed with professional teeth whitening treatments. These treatments are similar to home whitening kits, but they will use far stronger chemicals that will be able to remove deeper stains than a home-based whitening kit can address. When the stains are too deep for these powerful whitening agent, it may be possible to remove them through the use of laser whitening. The energy from the laser can work to destroy the pigments that are causing the discoloration issues. Regardless of the professional whitening treatment that is selected, there is a chance that multiple visits may be needed to achieve the desired results. This is due to the limitations on the amount of whitening that teeth can withstand in a single session.
Veneers
Sadly, there are some patients that will have suffered staining that may be too deep and severe to be removed. While these patients may assume that they will be unable to have an attractive smile, veneers can represent a viable option. Veneers are placed over teeth, and they can be used to mask discoloration without the need to use harsh bleaching agents. The process of having veneers applied will be one of the more intensive whitening treatments that can be used, but it is often the only option for patients that are unable to utilize more traditional whitening solutions.
Being aware of the numerous options that you can use for whitening your teeth will be important for protecting the quality and appearance of your smile. Otherwise, you may find it difficult to determine which of the more common whitening treatments will be effective for correcting your dental staining.