Whitening is a Safe and Effective Way to get That "Hollywood Smile"

The “Hollywood Smile” — dazzlingly white — is associated in our society with youth, health and vitality. Achieving that smile through either professional or home whitening applications has become very popular.

Teeth become discolored or dull for a number of reasons. It can be something intrinsic with the teeth — changes in enamel or dental structure during development, inherited disorders, heavy exposure to fluoride or tetracycline, or changes in mineral structure or wear due to aging. It can also be extrinsic, resulting from environmental or lifestyle causes. Eating foods with tannins (red wine, coffee or tea) or carotene pigments found in plant foods like oranges or carrots, or using tobacco may all cause staining.

Most modern applications involve an oxidizing chemical (usually hydrogen peroxide) that bleaches the teeth. Professional applications in a dentist's office use high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (usually 35 to 45%) applied directly to the teeth with control measures to protect the lips and gums. This type of application can lighten the color of teeth up to ten shades.

There are a number of home options too: whitening strips, “Paint on” or “Brush on” whitening, and even whitening gum. We can also provide you with a “Take home” kit that resembles the professional application but is generally less expensive. Although all these home applications are generally safe and effective, they typically take longer for results (several repeated days as opposed to about one hour for an office application), and not always to the same level of lightness as the professional.

Just about anyone can be a candidate for a whitening application. However, if you have thinner than normal dentin and more porous enamel, or suffer from gum recession or enamel loss, then whitening may increase tooth sensitivity. And, whitening is not a permanent solution: the brightness will fade over time, usually within a year. You can slow the fading by avoiding foods and habits that contribute to staining. It's also possible to touch up the initial whitening once or twice a year to extend the life of your new, bright smile.

If you would like more information on teeth whitening, please contact Dr. Cindy Sumarauw at 801-281-3500 to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Teeth Whitening.”

Achieving a Transformed Smile With Porcelain Veneers or Crowns

Today's cosmetic dentist can bring amazing transformations to their patient's smiles. That's because we now have a versatile array of materials and processes that precisely replicate the appearance of natural teeth.

Two of the most useful are porcelain veneers and crowns. Although different in structure and function, veneers and crowns both utilize a material known as dental porcelain, a ceramic material that can be shaped to resemble an individual patient's natural tooth shape, with the same color, hue saturation and translucence as the original or surrounding teeth.

As the name implies, veneers are a thin layer of dental porcelain that adheres to the outer surface of a tooth, essentially as a replacement for enamel. They solve a number of esthetic issues patients have with their teeth, especially those in front: poor color, shape and contours; broken teeth; poor tooth position; and staining that can't be removed with conventional bleaching. They most often require minimal tooth preparation, as only 1 mm or less of tooth enamel needs to be removed. Occasionally, no tooth reduction is required.

However, they are not a good solution where there is not an adequate amount of tooth structure to work with. In this case, a crown may be the best choice. A crown (or cap) covers the remaining tooth structure completely, reinforcing the remaining tooth structure 360°. This is an excellent choice for patients who have lost a large amount of tooth structure due to decay, trauma or grinding habits that have eroded the enamel.

To determine if you are a true candidate for either of these applications you should undergo a smile analysis in our office. During this process it's even possible to create a diagnostic mock-up — a “trial smile,” if you will — with temporary tooth-colored materials applied to your teeth and then photographed for your review.

The smile analysis helps us recommend the best solution for you and in turn will help you make an informed choice on the right application for you. Although either option may not be feasible in all situations, they may just be the right choice to change your smile for the better.

If you would like more information on how porcelain veneers and crowns can help transform your smile, please contact Dr. Cindy Sumarauw at 801-281-3500 to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Porcelain Crowns and Veneers.”