Dental Care for Kids: Finding the Right Dentist

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Why Tray Whitening May Not Be Suitable For Your Teeth

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Using dental trays to whiten teeth is a common and effective method for brightening smiles. Unfortunately, the cosmetic treatment doesn't just work for everybody; some people have to look for alternative treatments. For example, you may not be a good candidate for these trays if:

You Want To Whiten a Single Tooth

Dental whitening trays are ideal for bleaching a group of teeth rather than a single tooth. Therefore, it might not be the best technique for you if you are just interested in whitening a single tooth. For example, if only one tooth is stained and the adjacent ones are bright enough for you, using the usual trays is not only a waste of resources, but it can also lead to undesirable results. You may end up with uneven whiteness on your teeth because the stained one and the white ones may end up with different shades of white after the treatment.

You Want To Whiten Exposed Teeth Roots

Gum recession will leave your tooth root exposed, and an exposed tooth root tend to be darker than the rest of the tooth. This is because the root of the tooth is composed of different tissues from the rest of the tooth, and these tissues (the predominant one being dentin) have darker colors.

Unfortunately, that kind of intrinsic coloring doesn't respond well to peroxide, which is the whitening agent in whitening trays. In fact, if you go ahead with the treatment, it will enhance the discrepancy between the top of your teeth and the bottom of your teeth, which can make your teeth appear even more bizarre than they were before the treatment.

You Have Orthodontics in Your Mouth

Any teeth whitening technique that relies on peroxide as its main bleaching agent won't work well with existing dental restorations. The main reason is that the bleaching agent won't work on the restorations, which will leave you with uneven teeth coloration. The other reason is that the coloration may fail to reach the parts of your teeth's surfaces under the restorations, so you will only be doing half the work. Therefore, if you have braces or dental crowns, whitening trays shouldn't be your first pick for teeth whitening.

This is why you need a consultation with your cosmetic dentist before choosing a whitening method for your teeth. The good news is that there are many whitening methods and you can always find something suitable for your condition.

Contact a company like Dansville Family Dental Care for more information and assistance. 


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