Want a beautiful smile? There are conventional and natural ways to whiten teeth safely and effectively. Ask us about teeth whitening.

How white are your pearly whites? Few of us have naturally white teeth. Normally, the color of tooth enamel varies from a light yellow to grayish or bluish white. But everybody wants a bright and beautiful smile. That’s why teeth whitening procedures are popular today. Which way is the best way to whiten teeth?

Reasons for Tooth Discoloration or Staining

First, you need to understand what makes teeth yellow or appear grayish in color, because not all teeth can be whitened with whitening procedures. For example, it’s not possible to whiten teeth if a tooth or teeth have suffered significant damage to the dentin layer or if certain medications have caused permanent staining.

• Drinking coffee, tea, colas, and red wine.
• The use of tobacco products.
• Poor oral care.
• Aging – As we grow older the enamel or outer layer of our teeth becomes thinner. Aging causes teeth to look transparent or gray in color.
• Trauma/injury – An accident can damage the nerve in a tooth and cut off the blood supply to the tooth resulting in a gray-looking tooth.
• Silver or amalgam fillings – The color of a silver or amalgam filling can make a tooth look gray. This is especially true of front teeth because they are thinner.
• Root canals – Because a root canal disables the nerve in a tooth, that tooth can turn gray over time.
• Medications – Tetracycline is a type of antibiotic which can cause teeth to look or turn gray. If this medicine is used during childhood, when the teeth are still developing, it is highly probable that a child’s teeth will look gray in color. This is also true in developing babies’ teeth if Mom takes tetracycline during pregnancy.

Methods Used to Whiten Teeth

Today’s dental procedures provide us with many conventional ways to whiten teeth. Even gray teeth, thought to be untreatable, have been corrected or avoided. And then there are natural ways to whiten teeth.

Conventional methods include:

Whitening Strips – These at-home products provide at least some benefits for people with coffee, tea, colas, red wine, tobacco stains, and poor oral care. But they’re not 100% dependable for all people.

Whitening Gels – Dentists use carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide gels with high concentrations of H2O2 to whiten teeth. Hydrogen peroxide gels give the best and fastest results but can cause tooth sensitivity and irritate gums and tissue.

Natural Products and Methods – There are lots of products that people claim naturally whiten teeth without destroying your enamel. But they take time, a lot of time, to whiten teeth. It doesn’t happen overnight. Natural products or methods used are oil pulling, baking soda, clay, activated charcoal, diluted hydrogen peroxide, turmeric, or a combination of two.

If you would like to whiten teeth that appear gray due to trauma or medication, talk to Dr. Davis about the following cosmetic treatments:

• KöR Whitening
• Porcelain Veneers – Veneers can fix much more than staining and discoloration. Broken, chipped, and crooked teeth can also be corrected.
• Composite (tooth-colored) Fillings
• Tooth-colored Crowns

Have you used conventional or naturals ways to whiten teeth? Do you feel that your teeth are hopelessly gray? Give Davis Dental a call at (307) 634-3488 today. We can answer your questions about whitening teeth safely and effectively.

Quality Dental Care for Your Whole Family

3116 Acacia Drive

Cheyenne, WY 82001

(307) 634-3488

Open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm