One of the first things that people notice about you is the quality of your smile, and if your teeth are more yellow or brown than pearly white, you might not make a good impression. Stained enamel can leave you feeling so self-conscious that you try to remain tight-lipped rather than laugh or spend time with others.
Although teeth whitening can be helpful in many circumstances, some blemishes don’t respond as well to bleaching and might require alternative cosmetic solution. Continue reading to learn 3 types of discoloration and how to treat them!
Type #1: Extrinsic Stains
This is the most common type of dental discoloration and can impact people of all ages, genders, and walks of life. Your enamel may seem like a smooth, flat surface to the naked eye, but it’s actually covered in microscopic pores. This gives pigmented particles from the foods you eat plenty of places to gather, which can eventually tint your teeth a deeper hue.
Your dentist can often eliminate years’ worth of stains with topical teeth whitening treatments. They can provide a customized take-home kit with ultra-concentrated gels and fitted trays for an optimal application. Within just a couple of weeks, you can have a noticeably brighter grin!
Type #2: Intrinsic Stains
Extrinsic stains on the surface of your teeth usually respond to whitening services with your provider, but some discoloration runs deeper. If stains seeped into or originated in the lower layer of dentin, topical treatments aren’t likely to enhance your appearance.
In these instances, your dentist might recommend porcelain veneers. These thin, ceramic shells are customized to match your teeth and bonded to their front surfaces to hide aesthetic concerns, like splotches or spots in your enamel.
However, your dentist must remove a small amount of this protective outer layer for these covers to fit correctly. If you prefer to avoid making irreversible changes to your grin, you might do better with dental bonding instead.
Type #3: Age-Related Stains
Age can change your body in many ways, and your smile is no exception. As your enamel naturally thins through daily wear-and-tear, more of the yellow dentin beneath it shines through. That means even healthy teeth can look darker as you get older.
Teeth whitening isn’t likely to help, but your provider can provide porcelain veneers or dental bonding to preserve a much more youthful visage.
If you’re still uncertain about the best way to address your tinted teeth, the next best step is to schedule a cosmetic consultation with your dentist!
About the Practice
Patients at Turning Leaf Dental benefit from two dentists dedicated to providing a comprehensive menu of top-quality services to meet all their needs at one convenient location. Dr. Beamer and Dr. Davis take the time to get to know you so they can tailor treatment plans to your unique needs. Then, they combine a compassionate approach with state-of-the-art equipment to improve patient comfort while delivering accurate results. They offer several cosmetic procedures to upgrade your grin, including professional-grade take-home whitening kits. You can request an appointment on the website or by calling (617) 536-5182.