Teeth Whitening – Newark, DE
Brighten Your Smile for the Better
Many patients visit White Clay Dental Associates each year and express an interest in brightening their smiles. Our team can help most of these patients achieve their desired smile results. We simply need to determine the root cause of their dental discoloration, and then we can create a personalized treatment plan to deliver a brilliant white smile. We recommend gradual, effective professional take-home whitening kits for most of our Newark cosmetic dentistry patients.
Why Choose White Clay Dental Associates for Teeth Whitening?
- Professional-Strength Products for Dramatic Improvements
- Both In-Office & Take-Home Whitening Available
- Lighten Tooth Enamel By 6-10 Shades
Causes of Dental Discoloration
Bright white teeth are indicative of strong, healthy tooth enamel. People notice yellow, gray, or discolored teeth for a variety of reasons. Establishing the underlying cause of tooth staining is an important part of the teeth whitening process. Some of the reasons patients may experience dental discoloration include:
- Consumption of staining foods and drinks like coffee, tea, and berries - if it will stain a white shirt it, will stain your white tooth enamel!
- Poor oral hygiene leading to early tooth wear.
- Aging that leads to thinner tooth enamel revealing the yellow colored dentin layer beneath.
- Fluorosis staining that is caused by excessive exposure to fluoride during the development of the permanent teeth.
- Taking tetracycline and other medications during dental development.
Store Bought Teeth Whitening
Many patients who visit our office who are interested in teeth whitening have already invested countless dollars in store bought whitening gels, strips, pastes, and even high tech lights and other gadgets.
While these products promise dramatic results, they are not often able to make much of an impact on the shade of your smile. The reason for this is two-fold. First, the whitening agents they use are administered in extremely low doses in order to pass the stringent FDA regulations.
In addition to having a minimal amount of active whitening agent, these take-home whiteners are also improperly applied. Most whiteners are applied with ill-fitting application trays. Others, like whitening toothpastes, lack an effective method of keeping the whitener on the teeth long enough to deliver the desired results.
Professional Take-Home Whitening Kits
Our professional take-home whitening kits address both of the concerns presented by store bought whitening products. We start by using a professional grade, highly effective whitening gel. This higher dose of active whitener is applied using a custom crafted application tray. By using an application tray that is fitted to your unique smile, the whitener is held in place longer. Additionally, these custom fitted trays seal out saliva that can neutralize the effects of teeth whitening. Used daily as directed, patients can achieve their desired whitening results in about two weeks.
Benefits of At-Home Teeth Whitening
We rely on at-home whitening kits because they offer predictable results without heightening dental sensitivity or requiring a patient to spend an hour or more in the dental office (though we always love to spend time with our patients!). Instead, wearing the custom application trays for about thirty minutes a day allows a patient to achieve the same dramatically brighter results from the comfort of home.
Other Cosmetic Options
If we examine your smile and determine the staining or discoloration will not be effectively treated with teeth whitening, we may recommend another option. Patients whose staining is caused by the natural erosion of tooth enamel or deep-set fluorosis staining are typically encouraged to consider porcelain veneers or cosmetic bonding to create the flawless, white smile they desire. Your smile is completely unique to you, and your cosmetic dentistry plan at White Clay Dental Associates will be too.