Treatments for Stained and Discolored Teeth - Tooth Whitening and Porcelain Veneers
Teeth that are yellowed or stained in some way will make your smile less appealing and attractive. This can lead to varying levels of self-consciousness and even a reticence to smile. Thankfully there are some dental car treatments that are designed to improve the appearance and lighten the shade of stained teeth.
Professional Tooth Whitening
One of the first treatments a person may turn to is tooth whitening and bleaching. There are a variety of teeth whitening and bleaching products available over the counter, such as toothpastes, gels, strips, and retainers. However, these over-the-counter teeth whitening products are not as effective as a treatment you can receive from a dentist. Professional dental bleaching is much more potent and effective, and can lighten even a severely stained smile by a great degree. Your dentist may combine in-office teeth whitening treatments with supervised use of at-home whitening kits. Be sure to consult your dentist before undergoing this treatment.
Porcelain Dental Veneers
For teeth that are severely stained and do not respond to at-home teeth whitening kits or even professional dental bleaching, it may seem like there is no hope for successful treatment. That assumption is actually incorrect, as porcelain dental veneers may be able to mask even severe staining on teeth. Porcelain veneers are ceramic shells that can be placed on your teeth in order to conceal minor misalignment, minor chips, small gaps, and even certain degrees of staining. Your dentist will place the porcelain dental veneers with the utmost care, finding a shade for the veneers that looks natural so the end result does not look artificial or too noticeable.
To learn more about the above cosmetic dentistry treatments as well as other dental care options for diverse problems, including dental implants and implant dentistry, Invisalign®, sedation dentistry, or a complete smile makeover, it is important to visit our cosmetic dentists serving Memphis, Tennessee.
Which Dental Care Option is Right for Me?
What you will find when you talk to you dentist about ways to improve the appearance of your smile and your dental health is that a number of different dental treatment options are available. Each one can address a number of different dental issues, whether those involve missing teeth, misaligned teeth, discolored teeth, or another common dental issue.
While it will require a comprehensive consultation with a team of cosmetic dentists to fully determine which procedure is best for you, this article provides a brief rundown of some of the most common and effective cosmetic dentistry options that dentists use.
Dental Implants / Implant Dentistry
If you are missing a tooth or several teeth, dental implants and implant dentistry can be of great benefit to you. Dental implants are securely rooted into your jawbone and gum tissue, meaning that they are more secure and function more like your natural teeth than removable appliances such as dentures and dental bridges. In some cases, dentists may anchor dentures and dental bridges in place through the use of dental implants, making them more secure and less prone to slippage.
Teeth Whitening and Bleaching
When you have discolored teeth, one of the best options to consider is profession teeth whitening and bleaching. Going to a dentist for dental whitening is much more effective than opting for over-the-counter whitening. The teeth whitening procedure can be repeated multiple times if staining and discoloration is particularly bad, meaning that your smile can gradually be brightened and whitened to an appealing color.
Porcelain Dental Veneers
Porcelain dental veneers are a great option for people who have chipped teeth, slightly crooked teeth, or severe staining that tooth whitening is unable to remedy. These thin ceramic appliances are bonded directly onto the surface of your teeth, masking and concealing the dental problem you may be suffering from. The dental veneers are perfectly matched to your surrounding teeth so that they look natural.
Smile Makeover
For more involved dental problems, more involved solutions must be used. A smile makeover is a combination of multiple cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry techniques, each one designed to comprehensively improve the health and appearance of a person's mouth. Sedation dentistry techniques may be employed if the procedures are particularly involved and the patient suffers from some level of dental anxiety.
If you are interested in any of the above solutions, we encourage you to visit our cosmetic dentists serving Memphis, Tennessee.