People in San Francisco can brighten their smiles with teeth bleaching
It isn’t surprising that teeth whitening, also called bleaching, is the most commonly requested cosmetic dental treatment in San Francisco and across the nation. Psychologists have found that opinions of people’s character are formed within seconds of a first meeting, based solely on appearance.
Since a smile is usually the first thing noticed, and the last thing forgotten when interacting with others, many people begin with their smiles when working on their image. Small steps can make a big difference, and teeth whitening is an accessible, affordable, and effective way to improve a smile. To determine how effective whitening treatments will be, and to maintain the results after treatment, it is helpful to understand the most common causes of discoloration:
- Foods and beverages – Berries, cherries, richly colored sauces, and artificially colored foods, among others, will cause staining as will beverages such as fruit juice, cola, coffee, tea, and wine.
- Tobacco – Both smokeless and smoking tobacco can turn the teeth yellowish or brown.
- Poor oral care – Failing to brush and floss effectively leaves staining agents on the teeth where they will become embedded in the pores in the tooth enamel.
- Medications – Antidepressants, antihistamines, and high blood pressure medications can cause intrinsic (internal) discoloration. Tetracycline use by a mother during the later stages of pregnancy can discolor the baby’s teeth. Additionally the use of doxycycline or tetracycline before the age of eight can cause discoloration of the adult teeth. Intrinsic discoloration is less responsive to whitening treatments.
- Dental work – Silver amalgam can cause a black or gray cast to teeth.
- Age – Through the years, the enamel wears thin on the teeth, allowing the yellowish dentin to show through the enamel.
- Medical treatments – Head or neck radiation and chemotherapy can cause the teeth to darken.
- Genetics – Heredity affects the natural color of the enamel, with some individuals having thicker or whiter enamel than others do.
- Fluoride – Excessive use of fluoride rinses, supplements, toothpastes, treatments, or a high fluoride level in drinking water can cause discoloration.
- Injury – Trauma to a tooth due to injury can darken the tooth if the nerve is damaged.
Dr. Arellano will perform an oral examination and discuss possible causes of the discoloration to determine the best option to brighten a patient’s smile. If the discoloration is a type that will not respond to whitening, the doctor will explain alternative option to put sparkle in the smile. Call 415-881-4343 and schedule an appointment today.
