What causes tooth discoloration?
Tooth discoloration is the result of either intrinsic or extrinsic stains.
Intrinsic stains
Intrinsic stains affect the inner layers of your teeth, or the dentin. Whitening treatments don’t work on these types of stains, which are caused by:
- Excess exposure to fluoride during childhood
- In utero exposure to tetracycline antibiotics
- Trauma to the affected tooth
- An inherited condition known as dentinogenesis imperfecta
- Age-related yellowing
Extrinsic stains
Staining on the surface of the tooth’s enamel is known as extrinsic staining. The following can cause extrinsic stains:
- Cola drinks
- Coffee and tea
- Dark berries
- Wine
- Smoking
What treatment options are available for stained teeth?
A variety of whitening treatments for extrinsic stains are available over-the-counter and at your dentist’s office.
You may see slight improvements after using at-home treatments such as:
- Whitening toothpaste
- Teeth-whitening strips
- One-size-fits-all whitening trays
Professional teeth whitening provides a much quicker, more pronounced whitening effect. The dentists at Fairfax Corner Dental offer professional teeth-whitening options such as:
- Custom-fitted whitening trays
- Philips Zoom! professional in-office whitening
None of the teeth-whitening solutions above can treat intrinsic stains. The experts at Fairfax Corner Dental offer alternative options like composite bonding and veneers to cover over discolored teeth instead.
What is Zoom! teeth whitening?
The dentists at Fairfax Corner Dental offer two prescription-strength Zoom! teeth-whitening options: chairside whitening and take-home whitening trays.
Chairside whitening
Zoom! offers a professional form of in-office teeth whitening in which your dentist applies a potent whitening gel to your teeth and uses an LED whitening lamp to help penetrate the stains.
Take-home whitening trays
The dentists at Fairfax Corner Dental also offer custom-fitted take-home whitening trays you can use at night. You should notice a difference after about seven days using the mouthpieces.
What are the advantages of Zoom! teeth whitening?
Professional teeth whitening gives you the most dramatic results possible. If you have a special upcoming event or you don’t want to bother with strips and trays, chairside whitening leaves your teeth up to eight shades brighter in under an hour.
You don’t have to sacrifice your comfort for the effectiveness and convenience of professional teeth whitening, either. Even though Zoom! uses a higher concentration of bleaching products than over-the-counter formulas, it causes little to no tooth sensitivity.
If you’re searching for effective teeth-whitening options in the Fairfax, Virginia, area, contact Fairfax Corner Dental online or over the phone to schedule an appointment today.
