There is a misconception that if you want professional teeth whitening services, you simply schedule them with your dentist. The truth is, your dentist will likely want to have a consultation with you prior to the first whitening treatment. This may put some people off or have you thinking that there is something wrong with your request. Before you move on to the next whitening option, consider the following concerns your dentist may have with your teeth whitening request.
Causes for the Discolouration
One of the first things your dentist may want to consider about your teeth whitening request is what caused your discolouration. This could be vital in determining what kind of teeth whitening service is best for your needs and if any outside changes need to be made. For example, if your teeth are discoloured from smoking or coffee drinking, then your dentist may suggest cutting these out or using special whitening toothpaste at home in addition to the service they offer in the office.
Cavities and Decay
In addition to checking on the reasons for your tooth discoloration, your dentist may also want to perform some X-rays to check for possible tooth decay or cavities. You may see this as an unnecessary expense, but the truth is it can be preventative and help reduce sensitivity and pain later from the whitening treatments. If you have tooth decay or cavities between your teeth, you may not be aware of them. This means that the X-ray could pick it up and alert your dentist. Your dentist may then suggest having this issue repaired and then moving forward to a whitening service that will work for you.
Tooth Sensitivity
If you have had a history of tooth sensitivity and related issues, then your dentist may want to consult with you on what is causing the sensitivity. This will play into what type of whitening option your dentist will choose as well as how long the whitening service should last. For example, if you have sensitivity based on enamel loss, then your dentist may not want you using a gel or other option at home in addition to the whitening done in the office. They may suggest laser whitening along with some preventative treatments to rebuild your enamel and reduce sensitivity.
The key point to keep in mind is that a request for teeth whitening services can go deeper than just the colour of your teeth. Your dentist will want to make sure they are hitting on all your dental issues that are related to or caused the colour change to begin with and work to reduce those issues in the future.
For more information or a consultation, contact a local cosmetic dentistry clinic, such as Hopkins Street Dental.
Share10 November 2015
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
