Teeth Whitening Specialist

Why are my teeth not white?

There are many reasons why your smile loses its shine. Teeth naturally become duller as you age because the hard outer layer (the enamel) becomes more thin and translucent, making it easier to see the inside layer (the dentin), which actually yellows over time.

Your teeth can also become artificially discolored through staining. Consuming foods and beverages with dark pigments, such as coffee, tea, red wine, or soda, can leave permanent stains on your teeth, as can consuming tobacco products like cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

Bad oral hygiene also obviously plays a part in darker teeth, but so can genetics and certain medications, like antihistamines and high blood pressure medication. Exposure to too much fluoride or tetracycline antibiotics before a certain age can also leave you with a smile that’s not as white as you might like.

What are my teeth whitening options?

The dental experts at Cedarwood Pleasanton Dentistry offer a number of professional teeth-whitening procedures for patients looking to add some sparkle to their smile, such as:

Custom whitening trays

Your dentist takes an impression of your teeth, which is used to make a whitening tray that perfectly fits around your teeth. You fill these custom trays with a professional-grade whitening solution and wear them for up to an hour a day. After a couple of weeks, your teeth will be brilliantly white. The advantage of this teeth whitening method is you can do it at home whenever it is most convenient.

Zoom!® whitening

Zoom! whitening is done in less than an hour at the Cedarwood Pleasanton Dentistry office. Your dentist puts a tray filled with a whitening solution around your teeth, and then applies a special light that makes the whitening gel penetrate deeper to break up tougher stains and discoloration. Zoom! whitening can get your smile up to eight shades brighter in one office visit.

Can’t I just buy teeth whitening strips from the store?

You can, but you shouldn’t. The over-the-counter whitening strips and trays that you can buy at your local drug store simply aren’t as good, and can actually verge into being harmful to your mouth. They use a bleaching solution that’s less potent than what you’ll get from a professional, and because the strips and trays aren’t designed to fit your particular smile, the bleaching solutions frequently leaks out, which not only keeps it off of the teeth that it’s supposed to be whitening but can irritate your gums as well.

If you want to brighten up your smile safely and effectively with a teeth whitening treatment, visit the professionals at Cedarwood Pleasanton Dentistry. You can schedule an appointment today by calling the office or booking online.