Your teeth are powerful tools that you use every day. They’re strong, as easily capable of cutting as grinding thanks to their varied designs. With all the work we require of our teeth, it’s no wonder that they begin to look worn as the years pass by. It’s a natural process, but one that tends to take a bite out of your confidence. Teeth whitening can help by reversing that process. Let’s look at how teeth whitening boosts confidence.
Why Your Teeth Are Changing
With a good dental hygiene routine, you can protect the integrity and strength of your teeth. However, you will likely notice that they aren’t as white as they once were. They may appear more gray and even translucent in some areas. There may also be areas with visible staining. Depending on your age, these changes may result from aging, consistently consuming staining liquids, poor dental hygiene, or a mixture of those three.
Losing Your Confidence
If you’re noticing changes in your smile, you are more likely to be self-conscious. These feelings can be a serious confidence killer, which will impact your social and professional interactions. Particularly in American society, where smiling is an important and frequent social cue, feeling less confident about your smile can have a major and immediate impact.
People who know you well may wonder what’s wrong; whereas, new acquaintances may get the wrong impression of your personality. Nonverbal cues make up a substantial portion of our daily communications. If you avoid smiling or change the way you smile to hide your teeth, you’re cutting off an important communication tool.
How Teeth Whitening Boosts Confidence
Generally speaking, unless your teeth are deeply discolored, it is better to smile as you normally would. Friends, family, and new acquaintances typically find a few stains and some graying far more palatable than a distinct change in your nonverbal cues. However, if you want to get the best of both worlds, a professional whitening treatment can provide immediate results.
Talking to Your Dentist About Whitening Treatments
Although there are plenty of over-the-counter products available, it is generally better to have your whitening treatment done professionally with your dentist in Cerritos. You can start the process by scheduling a consultation appointment. During this appointment, your dentist will do four things.
- Have a closer look at your areas of discoloration.
- Determine if a whitening procedure will fully treat the problem.
- Discuss your options with you.
- Set up an appointment for treatment if you wish to move forward.
Don’t worry, if it turns out that some of your stains won’t respond to conventional teeth whitening, there are still options available. Your dentist may discuss the possibility of using a thin layer of dental bonding to cover those unsightly stains.
Leading Up to Your Treatment
In the weeks leading up to your appointment, it is very important that you don’t try any over-the-counter whitening products. Your dentist may have to reschedule your appointment if your teeth have been whitened recently to prevent causing you discomfort.
You can also expect your dentist to ask you to schedule a professional cleaning prior to your whitening appointment if you have not had one in six months or more. Having clean teeth can dramatically improve your final results.
During Your Treatment
When you get your teeth whitening in Cerritos you can expect a straightforward process. Your dentist will use gauze in your mouth to keep your teeth dry, and they will likely use specialized tools to help keep your jaw open, maintaining a safe distance between the whitening gel and the softer tissues of your lips and cheeks.
Your dentist will then paint on the whitening gel and use an LED light to speed up the process. The whole thing takes about an hour, and you shouldn’t experience any pain. With that said, you may notice some sensitivity for the first few days. An American Dental Association approved toothpaste for sensitivity will generally help to alleviate those symptoms. From then on, you’re good to go with a beautiful smile.
