One of the first things people notice about you is your smile. We all want to present our best selves to the world, and that starts with whiter teeth and a bright smile.
Over time, our teeth become discoloured due to age and our daily habits, including smoking and consuming dark pigmented food and drinks, such as red wine and coffee.
Professional cosmetic teeth whitening has become an increasingly popular way to enhance your appearance. To determine how to make your teeth white, there are several options available. At Available Dental Care, our experienced staff can help you choose the whitening system that’s best for your needs.
What is Teeth Whitening?
Staining pigments are absorbed through tiny pores in your tooth enamel. Professional teeth whitening lifts the surface discolouration from your teeth by breaking up and dispersing the stain molecules. Teeth whitening treatment from your dentist uses concentrated bleaching gels containing hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide solutions, as they are safe and highly effective at removing organic pigments for whiter teeth.
However, teeth whitening products don’t work on all types of stains. Blunt force trauma to your teeth can cause them to change to a darker colour, which cannot be fixed by simple teeth whitening. Certain medications may also cause staining deep within the dentin of your teeth. In these cases, you may need to pursue other cosmetic treatments such as veneers, crowns, and porcelain fillings.
Your Available Dental Care dentist offers in-chair and at-home teeth whitening options for your convenience and follows strict regulations for the safest, most cost-effective treatments.
How to Make Your Teeth White: Professional-Grade Whitening Kits
If you have mild staining and are not on a deadline to whiten your teeth, you can use teeth whitening kits at home. At-home kits are also ideally suited for touch-ups between visits to your dentist for chairside whitening.
Available Dental Care can provide you with an effective professional at-home system for whiter teeth, and our experienced staff can guide you through the process. The dentist takes an impression of your mouth to create your custom-fitted bleaching trays, similar to a mouthguard. Before use, you fill the tray with a peroxide-based bleaching agent at dentist-approved concentrations that will whiten your teeth. The trays are contoured to your mouth so the bleaching solution will not leak onto gums and soft tissue, causing irritation.
At Available Dental Care, we recommend the PolaWhite at-home whitening system. The PolaWhite formula contains slow-release fluoride to remineralise teeth during the teeth whitening process, preventing sensitivity.
Our dental professionals provide you with a safe schedule for teeth whitening so that you don’t irritate your teeth and gums. Some patients like to sleep overnight with their whitening tray in; others are more comfortable wearing it during the day.
How to Make Your Teeth White: Chairside Whitening
For faster results, we offer a chairside laser whitening procedure. Our practice offers the revolutionary Pola Laser Whitening system. Before treatment, we apply a protective paste to the gum line to prevent the highly concentrated gel from irritating your mouth.
Pola works by applying a hydrogen peroxide-based gel directly to the teeth. Next, the Pola laser is applied to break down the hydrogen peroxide and allow it to penetrate the surface of your tooth. The resulting release of oxygen into the enamel of the tooth helps lift stains and discolouration to whiten your teeth.
Most patients experience no discomfort during the procedure, and the entire process takes about an hour.
Keeping Your Teeth White
Whether you choose an at-home kit with a dentist’s supervision or laser teeth whitening procedure like PolaWhite, you’ll want to retain those whiter teeth for as long as possible.
Your best line of defence against staining is maintaining proper oral hygiene. Dental professionals recommend you brush twice a day and floss at least once. You should also attend regular checkups with your dentist.
Although some discolouration of the teeth occurs naturally with age, most staining is the result of your diet. You should limit dark beverages like coffee, tea, soft drinks, and red wine. If you can’t avoid them entirely, consider using a straw to help the liquid bypass the front teeth, and reduce exposure to staining compounds.
Choose Available Dental Care for a Brighter Smile
Professional teeth whitening is a safe and routine procedure and is the most effective way to remove build-up stains on your teeth. When choosing between an at-home or chairside whitening system, consult the team at Available Dental Care.
We can provide you with any additional information you need to make the best choice for you, and show you how to make your teeth white, with brilliant, long-lasting results.
Call us at (02) 4062 8763 and let us help you achieve whiter teeth and a brighter smile.