August 16th, 2010
The resemblance of tooth enamel and porcelain veneers is quite striking. They are both white with subtle variation in exact shade of white, and they both have that famous “pearly white” sheen because of being semi-translucent. This is one of the reasons why porcelain dental restorations are so popular – they are not identifiable as being restorations. They look like the teeth.
If you are thinking of having porcelain veneers, you might want to consider having a teeth whitening treatment first. Why is that?
One of the most valuable features of dental porcelain is its stain-resistance. It does not darken or yellow over the years like tooth enamel. The flip side of this advantage is that neither does it whiten in a tooth whitening procedure. It does not react chemically either to pigmented food and drink put in the mouth or to bleaching agents.
Dental porcelain comes in many shades. When you have any type of porcelain restoration done, Dr. Sands matches the porcelain color to your tooth enamel. If you were to have veneers placed first and then tooth whitening done, your teeth would change color, becoming brighter and whiter, and in contrast, your veneers would look darker or more yellow. They would keep their original shade and no longer match your teeth.
Planning your cosmetic dental work is done by discussing procedures with Dr. Sands ahead of time and determining together the best sequence.
If you would like to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Sands, please contact our dental office today. We serve residents of Beverly Hills in California and we hope to work with you soon.
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July 7th, 2010
The main cause of teeth darkening is pigments we put in our mouths. Many times a day we may drink pigmented fluids such as tea, coffee, red wine, cranberry juice, and cola drinks; and many times a day we eat pigmented foods such as blackberries, cherries, ketchup, and soy sauce.
Anything that stains the lips or tongue will also stain the teeth – even dyes added to popular treats like popsicles. These pigments cause yellow, brown or orange staining.
Tobacco use – Tobacco causes a yellow-brown staining on the teeth, just as it does in the skin. Quitting is the best thing to do, but of course, that can be very difficult for a person with an established habit.
Too much fluoride – this is sometimes a cause, especially in children. This condition is known as fluorosis. It can cause white streaks across the teeth but depending on the amount of fluoride, there can be brown stains. A child may be exposed to this danger, between fluoridated water, fluoridated toothpaste (that may often be swallowed by young children), and bottled juice and juice-flavored drinks made with fluoridated water.
Aging – the simple passage of time is also a cause of teeth staining. Over the years, our teeth become yellower and darker because the enamel layer becomes thinner from wear and tear. That allows the yellow dentin layer to show through the translucent enamel. As we age, the dentin itself becomes darker.
With excellent dental hygiene and a nutritious diet with fresh vegetables, we can remove or prevent much staining. Lettuce, broccoli, and spinach help to prevent tooth staining because they put a film on the teeth that acts as a barrier. Avoidance of commercial foods containing dyes will help.
Something to keep in mind is that tooth color is determined by genetics and some people naturally have whiter teeth than others. If you have a teeth whitening treatment, it may not be possible to make your teeth whiter than your genetics dictate. However, darkening caused by foods and drinks can certainly be corrected and most people who have a BriteSmile tooth whitening procedure at our Beverly Hills dental office leave after about an hour feeling quite euphoric about the dramatic improvement in their smile.
If you are in the Beverly Hills, California area, and would like a free consultation with Dr. Sands, please call or email our office today.
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June 16th, 2010
Welcome to the new blog for ToothWhiteningInBeverlyHills.com.
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