Teeth Whitening and Cleaning

If your dental health is important to you and you like to keep your teeth looking sparkly and clean, you already probably understand the importance of regular dental visits for teeth cleaning. But if you don’t really have much experience with a dental cleaning or if you’re deciding on whether or not to get one, you may want to consider the following benefits teeth cleaning can give you:

• Cavity Prevention - One of the most common reasons why people visit the dentist regularly is for check-ups and cleanings to avoid cavities. It’s much more cost-effective to get your teeth checked and cleaned than to get a root canal done. Teeth cleaning is overall a better experience than getting more complicated and possibly painful procedures done later on. 
• Tooth Loss Prevention - Gum disease is a very serious issue that happens when plaque builds up on the teeth. As gum disease progresses, the plaque moves down into the tooth where it can destroy the supporting bone tissues in your jaw. When this happens, the teeth become loose and fall out. Having your teeth cleaned will greatly reduce the chances of you getting gum disease. 
• Boost General Health - The health of your teeth and gums can have a big impact on your overall health especially since the roots of your teeth are located near your brain cavities and sinus. A seemingly simple tooth infection could lead to serious health consequences. If you have regular dental check-ups and dental cleanings, you can boost your overall health while also avoiding possible health issues down the road.
  

1. Physical Exam - Before the cleaning process, a physical exam on the entire mouth will be performed. There are several important things besides cavities that dentists look for during a dental cleaning. Plaque and tartar, gum disease, and cancer indicators are all vital aspects of the teeth cleaning appointment.
2. Plaque and Tartar Removal - Using a small mirror as a guide, the dentist will use a scaler to get rid of the plaque and tartar surrounding your gum line and in between your teeth. You’ll usually hear some scraping noises which is normal. The more tartar there is, the more time will be needed to scrape a certain spot. 
3. Gritty Toothpaste Cleaning - Once your teeth are tartar-free, the hygienist will brush them with a high-powered electric brush which usually makes a grinding noise. This ensures that there is no tartar left behind.
4. Flossing - The dentist will then proceed with the flossing process. The dentist will be careful enough to locate any trouble areas where you might bleed at the gums. Having a professional floss your teeth helps remove any leftover plaque or toothpaste.
5. Rinsing - Your mouth is then rinsed out of any debris. The dentist will most likely use a rinse that contains liquid fluoride.
   

Brushing your teeth and flossing are easy ways to keep your teeth white, bright, and healthy. Still, if you feel like your smile is still not as white or if it’s a bit more yellow than you’d like it to be, you’re not a lot. When asked, most people say that they want to improve their smile by having whiter teeth. At the same time, 90% of patients request teeth whitening.

• Food and Drinks - Coffee, tea, and red wine are some major teeth staining culprits. They all have intense color pigments called chromogens that attach to the white outer part of your teeth also known as the enamel. 
• Tobacco Use - There are two chemicals in tobacco that causes teeth to stain, tar and nicotine. Tar is naturally dark while nicotine is colorless until it’s mixed with oxygen. It then turns into a yellowish, surface-staining substance.
• Aging - Below the enamel is a softer area called the dentin. Over time, the outer enamel layer gets thinner with brushing and more of the yellowish dentin shows through.
• Trauma - If you’ve ever experienced trauma to your mouth or teeth, your teeth’ color may change since it reacts to injury by laying down more dentin, which is the yellowish layer under the enamel.
• Medication - Tooth darkening can be a side effect of consuming antihistamines, antipsychotics, and high blood pressure medicine. Young children exposed to certain antibiotics when their teeth are forming may have discoloration in their adult teeth later on in life.

Teeth whitening does not work on all teeth so it’s best to talk to your dentist before whitening your teeth since whiteners may not correct the type of discoloration you have. Whitening will also not work on caps, veneers, crowns, or fillings. It is also ineffective if the tooth discoloration is caused by tooth injury or medication. Here are some ways to put the shine back on your smile:

• In-Office Bleaching - Chairside bleaching usually only requires one visit to the office. The dentist will either apply a protective gel to your gums or a rubber shield to protect your gums. Bleach is then applied to the teeth.
• Stain Removal Toothpaste - All toothpaste help remove the surface stain using the mild abrasives that scrub the teeth. Look for a whitening toothpaste that has an ADA seal of acceptance for stain removal, this can often be found on the packaging. These kinds of toothpaste have additional polishing agents that are safe for your teeth and provide stain removal effectiveness.

Some people who use tooth whiteners may experience tooth sensitivity. This happens when the peroxide in the whitener gets through the enamel layer and reaches the dentin layer which would irritate the nerves of your teeth. Be sure to follow directions placed on the whitener’s packaging and talk to your dentist before starting any treatments.