If you notice yellowing and other concerns in your tooth color, you can get lost in the many ways to brighten your smile. Your dentist can suggest targeted in-office treatments, but you also might feel tempted to purchase whitening options at your local shop.
Whitening toothpaste promises to brighten the shade of your teeth. But how well will this tool work when it comes to your unique smile aesthetic goals? Read on to learn more about the dental effects that whitening toothpaste can offer your smile.
How Does Regular Toothpaste Work?
You use toothpaste in tandem with your toothbrush to clear and wash residues from your smile. This process effectively removes plaque, food particles, and surface stains from your teeth. Along with flossing, it makes up a healthy oral hygiene routine that should be done twice each day.
Toothpaste has abrasive ingredients that allow your toothbrush to better scrub and get rid of residues stuck to your teeth. While this can help you remove surface stains, it cannot reach deeper concerns. You will need to try more targeted cosmetic solutions to enhance your tooth color in these cases.
What Does Whitening Toothpaste Do?
Whitening toothpaste also has these abrasive materials. But it contains bleaching agents as well, which reach deeper into the teeth to brighten the color of the enamel. As it reacts with your teeth, the hydrogen peroxide breaks down and lifts the stains from your teeth.
Then you can buff the stains away with ease with the brushing action and abrasive paste. Therefore, when used as directed, you can find your tooth color whitening over time as you use this type of toothpaste. But this effect will only work with mild discoloration. For more extensive and customized treatment, you should talk to your dentist.
Can Whitening Toothpaste Achieve My Smile Goals?
As mentioned, whitening toothpaste can enhance the brightness of your smile. But this one-size-fits-all approach to boosting the look of your teeth cannot achieve all dental patients’ smile goals.
If your smile is not as white as you hope after using this kind of toothpaste, schedule a cosmetic consultation with your dentist. They can evaluate your unique smile and find a dental treatment that can give you the smile of your dreams.
The dentist may suggest in-office teeth whitening, dental bonding, or porcelain veneers to provide you with a bright, gorgeous, and natural-looking smile. Your treatment plan will depend on your desired results, medical history, and existing dental structure.
The supervision of a dentist for teeth whitening will also ensure that you do not suffer from unpleasant side effects of the treatment. For instance, the chemicals in teeth whitening products may cause sensitivity or gum irritation if used incorrectly.
Your dentist can reduce or eliminate these effects because they will cater their treatment to your unique dental needs. Learn which treatment will get you the best results by speaking with your local dental expert.