Steps to Get, and Maintain, Whiter Teeth

A smile that dazzles, one that lights up a room, or even blinds, all have one thing in common -- they stem from beautifully white teeth. It would be hard to overstate the effect that white, bright teeth can have on your appearance since they’re often the first thing people notice about you. In fact, your pearly whites often speak for you long before words come out of your mouth.

And we want to help make sure you’re sending the right message with healthy, white teeth. Here at Smiles of Atlanta, we offer a number of treatments that will have you beaming from ear to ear with confidence. If you’re in the Atlanta, Georgia area and you’d like to find out how you can brighten your smile and keep it that way, read on.

Establishing the baseline

Before we discuss the many roads you can take to whiten your teeth, let’s first see what we’re working with. We recommend that you come in for a deep, professional cleaning that might unearth whiter teeth than you thought, especially if you haven’t come to see us for a while.

If you’ve ever tried to keep a t-shirt white for more than an hour, you can only imagine what your teeth go through every day. Everything you put in your mouth can add to tartar buildup and staining with which even the most diligent cleaning at home can’t keep up.

So, the first basic step to whiter teeth is to let us clear away the surface with a thorough cleaning and polishing so we can establish our baseline.

Now what?

Once we strip away the debris to reveal the true color of your teeth, you may still decide that they can use a little help. And this is perfectly natural. Over time, your enamel wears away, which allows more of the brown dentin within your teeth to show through. It’s this combination that lends a yellowing effect to your teeth.

The next step you can take to whitening your teeth is to undergo one of our professional-grade teeth whitening treatments. We offer an in-office version, as well as a take-home version.

The in-office procedure is quick and easy and takes about an hour. When you come in, we apply a high-grade bleaching gel, which we activate with a special light. Not only is this procedure quick and painless, it provides you with immediate results you can show off that evening.

If you’d prefer a more gradual process, we can supply you with trays and a gel to take home and use. The gel is less powerful than the one we use here, and it will give you results over time, usually a few days to a few weeks.

A new level

If you want to take teeth whitening to a new level and tackle minor structural imperfections at the same time, we offer veneers. Veneers are wafer-thin shells that we place over the fronts of your teeth, which not only give you whiter teeth, they can hide a multitude of sins, such as chips, gaps, and other irregularities.

The reason why we say that veneers bring teeth whitening to a different level is because this procedure is irreversible. In order to ensure that the veneers fit in seamlessly with your natural teeth, we need to remove the enamel from the front of your teeth to make room. Once removed, your enamel doesn’t grow back, so you can count on wearing veneers for the rest of your life. And that’s not a bad thing if it’s a perfect smile you’re after.

Keeping your whites white

Whether you opt for our professional whitening or more involved cosmetic dentistry, the care you give your new smile at home is paramount. The best way to maintain your new pearly whites is to brush at least twice a day, floss once a day, and rinse after you eat.

You’d also do well to take extra care with foods and liquids that stain -- coffee, tea, and wine are the main culprits here. We’re not saying you need to give up your morning cup of joe, but consider carrying a small bottle of mouthwash to rinse afterward.

And we’re going to circle right back around to where we started. One of the best ways to maintain white teeth is to keep up with your regular cleanings here at Smiles of Atlanta. We recommend you come in twice a year.

If you want your smile to brighten a room, give us a call, or use our online form to schedule an appointment. We’re here to make you smile.