If you suffer from discolored teeth, you may need extensive teeth cleaning or cosmetic teeth whitening services offered at the different Dental Offices around the world. Do not assume that your teeth are too far gone to look attractive again, and do not assume that they cannot be fixed. Everything can be fixed.
There are many reasons why front teeth become discolored. Genetics can play a role. Drugs, including tetracycline and fluoride, can also stain teeth. Infections, root canals, smoking, and many foods can also create dark or stained teeth.
For people who have had a root canal, tooth whitening may be the solution. Special bleach can be applied to the tooth to restore its normal, natural whiteness. This normally takes a series of appointments, but the results are almost always exceptional.
If the tooth has been broken or chipped, however, it may be better to cap it with a porcelain crown. Porcelain has the same color qualities as tooth enamel. If a front teeth are only slightly discolored, we may decide to whiten them with a porcelain veneer. A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that fits over the front and top of a front tooth.
For teeth that have been discolored by smoking, we can perform power whitening. This involves the use of a special whitening solution that is applied to the teeth over a series of visits, then hardened by a special light or a laser.
Home can also be done with great effect. We recommend, however, that you come into our Houston office and have one of our cosmetic dentists fit you with a custom-fabricated tray. This will be filled each night with a whitening solution and worn at home.
If you are simply too busy for multiple trips to the dentists, and if you want to whiten teeth that have been discolored in a single office visit, bonding may be the answer. The plastic bonding material we use is custom-made to match natural tooth color and sculpted to the surface of the tooth to appear as part of it. Once it place, it is hardened with a high-intensity light.
Any type of metal fillings will also discolor teeth, for obvious reasons. We recommend replacing metal fillings when at all possible. Dentists these days have a number of white filling materials that can be used for this purpose.
Direct resins can be applied to discolored teeth in a single office visit. First, the dentist determines the correct shade of resin, then presses it into place, sculpts it, hardens with light, then finally adjusts and polishes it. Direct resins are tough, economically affordable, and adequate restorations.
Indirect resins are fabricated in a lab first using a model. Then, they are applied directly to the patients mouth. These more accurately fit tooth surfaces because more time and care are taken in their manufacture. The dental lab uses additional techniques to harden these restorations and make them significantly more durable than direct resins. The procedure will take two appointments one to take impressions of teeth, and one to fit the new resins to the teeth.
Indirect hybrid resins are a new development that combines the strength of porcelain with the flexibility of resin (plastic). Like indirect resins, these restorations are made in a laboratory under heat and light. Two or more appointments are necessary, but the result is an exceptionally high-quality restoration. If your teeth are severely discolored, this is the recommended route to take in getting back that award-winning smile you had given up on.
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