If you’re considering a professional teeth whitening treatment to enhance the brilliance of your smile, you may want to keep reading. Teeth whitening is a major industry in the United States (accounting for an annual $1.4 billion of the cosmetic dentistry industry), but not everyone is an ideal candidate. And not every ideal candidate should undergo a teeth whitening treatment right away. Here are some factors to consider.
Diet and Habit. Take a moment and realize what’s causing your teeth to be less-than-white in the first place — odds are good that your diet and lifestyle habits play a large part. Red wine, tobacco products, tea, and coffee are leading factors in discoloration. If you’re not willing to give up or cut back on your vices, any teeth whitening treatment you do now will simply need to be repeated later on.
Pre-Existing Dental Work. If you’ve had a number of cavities filled, or have had previous cosmetic dental procedures done (like crowns or veneers), you may not be an ideal candidate for whitening. Many whitening treatments involve the application of a low-energy laser, and this can heat fillings and crowns to unsafe temperatures.
Cosmetic Dental Work in the Future. Similarly, if you’re planning on having a major cosmetic procedure done, you’ll want to wait until afterwards to have your teeth whitened. Some procedures can result in whiter teeth as a natural byproduct of the surgery, such as veneers to cover decay or implants to replace teeth. As the whitening effects of these procedures last much longer than standard whitening treatments, it might be more logical to whiten after the fact.
Ask your dentist about your options for teeth whitening. They’re the best equipped to evaluate the strength of your enamel, the depth of whitening needed, and the best way to go about getting you the smile you’ve always dreamed of. More like this blog.
