If you want a brighter smile, you likely know you have more than option. But you may have trouble deciding which teeth whitening method is right for you. Fortunately, our dentists can help you decide, taking into account factors like your budget, your schedule, and the condition of your teeth.
Your teeth whitening options include:
- Teeth whitening treatments
- Dental veneers
- Dental bonding
If you are trying to decide which teeth whitening method is right for your smile, we recommend a free consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists in Lexington, KY. They’ll examine you, answer all of your questions, and help you make a great choice.
In the meantime, we’ve provided some information you’ll want to consider. If you have any additional questions or want to schedule your free consultation, call one of our three locations: Beaumont, Leesburg, or Hamburg.
What Type of Staining Do You Have?
Some stains simply respond better to professional teeth whitening treatments than others. Intrinsic stains, which affect your tooth’s interior, can’t really be removed with whitening treatments. So you’ll likely want to cover them with bonding or veneers. Common causes of intrinsic stains include certain medications, overexposure to fluoride, a blow to your tooth, or aging.
Extrinsic stains, which darken or dull your tooth’s exterior, often respond quite well to whitening treatments. These are the kinds of stains that are often caused by smoking or by consuming substances like coffee or cola.
You can get a teeth whitening treatment at our office, or we can provide you with custom-made whitening trays and professional-strength gel to use at home. Either way, your smile will get brighter. For especially effective whitening, you can do both.
If you’re in a hurry to get a white smile for a special event, an office treatment will brighten your smile several shades in about an hour. It’ll take a week or more to get the same results with home whitening.
Evaluate Cost of Each Teeth Whitening Method
While a whitening treatment is the least expensive teeth whitening method at face value, it’s important to consider more than the up-front cost. You’ll need repeated teeth whitening treatments to keep your smile bright. Dental bonding and dental veneers will both keep your smile looking white longer.
Veneers will last at least a decade, and often much longer, if you care for them properly. They resist staining, so they should remain white for years.
You can expect bonding to last up until a few years. The tooth-colored composite material our dentists apply to your smile during a bonding treatment can stain. Avoid staining liquids as much as possible after bonding; rinse your mouth out with water after consuming them, if you can. You might also want to increase the number of professional dental cleanings you receive.
Both bonding and veneers can correct other cosmetic flaws while whitening your smile. You can use them to cover imperfections like:
- Chips
- Small cracks
- Small gaps and/or minor misalignment
- Worn-down teeth
Veneers can generally conceal a wider range of flaws than bonding. Since the thin, custom-made pieces of porcelain cover the entire front surfaces of your teeth, they also help strengthen your smile.
Some Whitening Methods Are More Invasive Than Others
Teeth whitening treatments aren’t invasive. Whether you choose a home or office treatment, the gel is simply applied to your teeth. Bonding is also non-invasive. Our dentists will apply an abrasive solution to your teeth to roughen them before applying the composite material. When they’re happy with the appearance, they’ll “cure” it with a special light. The final step of your treatment is a quick polish. Bonding can be completed in one treatment, and it’s completely reversible.
With dental veneers, our dentists typically need to remove a small amount of tooth enamel. At Beaumont Family Dentistry, we remove as little enamel as possible. We also offer no-prep Lumineers veneers. These are thinner than other veneers so require little if any alteration of your teeth. However, they won’t work for every situation. Our dentists can advise you on which type of veneer will give you the best results.
If we remove enamel from your teeth, you’ll always require a dental restoration – a veneer or another option like a dental crown.
Our cosmetic dentists are happy to advise you! To schedule a complimentary cosmetic consultation, call the office of your choice: 859-223-2120 (Beaumont), 859-687-0975 (Hamburg), or 859-368-8260 (Leestown).