Stained And Discoloured Teeth – What Are Your Options?

Has your smile lost its sparkle? If so, the Cygnet Dental Practice can help.

We think that most of you would probably agree that a whiter smile is generally more attractive than a dull or discoloured one. The problem is, of course, that most of us, as we get older, lose that sparkling white smile of our youth. There are a number of reasons for this including staining from foods and drinks that we have consumed. Smoking will also heavily stain our teeth as well as causing a lot of damage too potentially. Finally, as the years roll by, our teeth naturally take on a darker hue as the dentin beneath the tooth enamel starts to darken naturally through age.

There are two options open to us when our teeth have reached that stage. We can either tolerate the dullness of our teeth and be resigned to never having a nice smile again, or we can seek the help and advice from a cosmetic dentist such as those at our local Wickford clinic.

Let’s take a look at some of the options available to you to help you regain your youthful whiter smile.

Scale and polish

This particular procedure is carried out by the dental hygienist at our practice. This is done every six months in most instances and is used to remove built up tartar which attaches to the teeth. Removing this tartar helps to prevent gum disease. Everybody should have this treatment carried out for this reason, but for those who are not yet old enough to have discoloured teeth caused by ageing and who have only mild staining, a positive ‘side effect’ of this procedure is that it can remove some surface staining from the teeth. Most people who have this notice an improvement in the colour of their teeth afterwards. We recommend that everyone has this done anyway for oral health reasons and it might just brighten your teeth enough for you.

Teeth whitening procedure

While the above treatment should show some improvement, for most people, the best results are achieved by investing in teeth whitening. This is a non-invasive treatment that will whiten your teeth by several shades, much more so than a ‘scale and polish’. It has become popular with younger people, perhaps influenced by celebrity culture, but it is also very relevant for older patients too.  While it will remove surface staining from the teeth, it also lightens the dentin beneath the enamel. This is an area that becomes darker as we age and this is the only treatment that will improve that.

For those that are worried that they will have an overly bright smile, please don’t be concerned. This treatment can be adjusted to give you the shade of whiteness that you want. More mature patients often don’t want that dazzling white smile but would like to improve the colour of their teeth a little, but with a natural looking smile as a result. We can adjust your treatment to fit with your wishes.

Dental veneers

The popularity of veneers has grown over the years. Unfortunately, some of this is due to advertisements for cheap options abroad. As far too many people have discovered, these are often not what they are cracked up to be and in some cases have resulted in dental disasters. We strongly recommend that you don’t do this and use a registered UK dentist such as our own. We will carry the treatment out safely and with the results that you expect. Don’t gamble with your teeth, the results can be permanent!

Unlike teeth whitening, this usually requires a small invasive treatment. First of all, a fine layer of the discoloured or stained enamel is removed from the front of the teeth in question. Impressions are then made and sent to a dental laboratory where your veneers will be made. These are then attached to the teeth, in effect replacing the enamel, using a special adhesive and then trimmed and polished for a natural appearance.

This treatment is most suitable for people with more heavily stained teeth or those with ‘defects’ such as chips or cracks.

With teeth whitening and veneers, you will need to have an initial consultation to discuss this with us. Not only will we explain the procedure in question in more detail and answer any questions you might have, but will also examine your teeth as well. There is little or no point in whitening teeth that are showing signs of tooth decay for example. Any problems such as this or gum disease will need to be treated before your teeth can be whitened.

If you feel that your teeth are not as white as they used to be and that your smile could benefit from a bit of a lift, we are here to help you achieve just that! It is just down to you to take that first step by contacting us. You can do this via the form on the contact page on our website or by calling the Cygnet Dental Practice of Wickford on 01268 733078. We look forward to meeting you and starting your new smile journey.