Serving patients of Erwin, Jonesborough, and Greeneville TN
We all try to keep our pearly whites, well, pearly white. Since our smile is usually the first feature others notice about us and it’s a universal sign of friendliness, approachability and self-confidence, we all want our teeth to be white and bright. Unfortunately, age and time often lead to dingy or yellow teeth. If you’ve found yourself hiding your smile because of stained teeth, we have great news: Tusculum Dental can help you rewind the hands of time …. sort of. Let’s dive in with our cosmetic dentist in Erwin today to look at the reason your teeth may be stained and what our dental team can do to help.
Why are my teeth stained?
Before you decide on a treatment plan for your yellow or dingy teeth, it’s best to try to identify the source of the staining.
Generally, tooth stains can be attributed to one of the following:
- Extrinsic staining — These are external stains, often caused by prolonged exposure to what’s likely some of your favorite foods and beverages, such as dark sodas, coffee, tea, red wine, dark berries, tomato-based sauces and chocolate.
- Intrinsic staining — Sometimes, stains are inside the tooth, under the white, durable, translucent outer cover of our teeth, known as enamel. Genes, trauma and even certain medications like tetracycline can cause intrinsic tooth staining.
- Age — Teeth, unfortunately, lose some of their luster over time. It’s just a fact of life, usually because enamel thins with age, often exposing the yellow, internal layer of teeth called dentin that’s just under the white enamel.
How can I correct tooth staining?
Walk into any retail store these days, and you may be overwhelmed with all the brands making promises of whitening your teeth quickly and effectively. Unfortunately, over-the-counter whitening products usually lead to slow and inconsistent results that often leave you with burning gums or sensitive teeth.
In our Jonesborough cosmetic dentist office, we offer truly remarkable, speedy solutions for stained and dingy teeth without the common side effects of store-bought products:
- In-office whitening treatment — If you’re looking for dramatic results that take no longer than your lunch break, and if whitening supervised by our professional dental team in Greeneville appeals to you, then consider our in-office whitening treatment that can drastically whiten your teeth with no ill side effects.
- In-home treatments — For patients who prefer a more convenient treatment, we offer in-home professional teeth whitening. To do this, we custom-create dental trays for you to take home and fill with professional-strength whitening gel. We also provide you with instructions to use the whitening solution, including how often and for how long it should be applied.
- Pre-filled trays — Does in-home treatment appeal to you but you’re afraid you may overfill the custom whitening trays, which can lead to tooth and/or gum sensitivity? If so, then you may want to choose our pre-filled trays. The process couldn’t be more simple: The gel is already in a tray. You use the tray and then dispose of it when you’re done. That’s it!
- Veneers — Unfortunately, bleaching can’t generally help intrinsic tooth staining. If your stains are stubborn internal stains, we recommend dental veneers or cosmetic bonding to correct the stains. Both are custom, economical restoration solutions for intrinsic staining that work by covering and masking the stains.
Professional teeth whitening in Erwin, Jonesborough and Greeneville, Tennessee
You deserve to have the white, bright, confident smile you’ve always dreamed of. Don’t put off whitening your smile any longer. Contact Tusculum Dental Care today by calling (423) 639-7575 or sending us a message online.