“Smile while you still have teeth” is a well-known saying preached by millions. However, have you thought about what shall happen when your beautiful smile is tainted by discoloration?

To stop this nightmare from becoming a reality, we have a set of recommendations for how you can improve your smile by opting for cosmetic dentistry in Michigan.

What factors can actually affect the color of your teeth?
1)Tobacco (whether smoked or chewed)
2)Drinking coffee, tea or red wine
3)Eating highly pigmented foods such as cherries or blueberries
4)Yellowing or graying of teeth as part of an aging process
5)Trauma to the teeth that may result in the death of the tooth’s nerve, giving it a brown, gray or black color.

What are some ways to whiten teeth?
While external staining can very well be removed dental cleaning or using a whitening toothpaste. The internal stains can be removed through bleaching or teeth whitening. But, the type of treatment will depend on the degree and type of staining and how much of the tooth structure is remaining.

How does tooth whitening work?

At-Home Whitening
Your dentist will mostly take an impression of your teeth and then make a custom-fitted tray, that you will fill with a whitening gel and wear up to two hours a day or for two weeks at night.

In-Office Whitening
To protect your teeth, a gel-like substance may be applied to your gums and a rubber shield is placed around the necks of your teeth. An oxidizing agent is then applied to the teeth. This treatment is usually more expensive and requires several visits with each visit lasting up to 30 minutes to 1 hour.

How does bonding work?

Composite Bonding
The front tooth is reduced to prevent the new tooth from being “bulky”, then microscopic grooves are etched into the tooth surface. A composite resin matched to the surrounding teeth is applied to the tooth, contoured, set using a curing light and finally smoothed.

Veneer Bonding
A veneer is made to match the color and shape of your tooth which is then used to cover the stained teeth and give a nice appearance to broken or misshapen teeth.