If you want to have shining pearly white teeth, it is best to go for teeth whitening procedures. Dental whitening procedures are becoming very common these days because everyone is interested in improving his/her smile. There are also other procedures to correct discolored teeth. However, whitening is the most effective and efficient way to obtain pearly white teeth. The procedure is very safe and doesn’t have any serious side effects. At the same time, it is also effective in providing results.

Your teeth can get discolored for a number of reasons. Smoking cigarettes is one of the leading causes of teeth discoloration and staining. Consuming foods such as tea, coffee, wine and curry can also cause teeth discoloration. Other contributing factors include mineral deficiencies, excessive fluoride in the water and genetic factors. The stains are hidden deep in the pores of the enamel layer. For this reason brushing will not remove the stains. However, whitening techniques are very effective because the bleaching agents used can penetrate the pores of the enamel layer and remove the stains. (more…)

The field of dentistry has made a number of advances in the recent years. Dental veneers are one such advancement. These are used to correct a number of cosmetic dental problems such as chipped or broken teeth, minor misalignments and discolorations. Dental veneers are very popular because they provide effective results. Once installed, they will have a long life if proper care is taken. However, on the minus side, veneers are a little costly and require the services of a cosmetic dentist to be installed.

Dental veneers are made from porcelain. Porcelain is used because its properties are very similar to that of natural enamel. Both enamel and porcelain are slightly translucent. When light falls on the enamel layer, it penetrates it and gets reflected by the underlying dentine layer. Because of this reason, natural teeth have a very unique luster. Veneers have the same appearance as normal teeth.

Veneers are installed by a surgical procedure that can last a few hours. First, a thin layer of enamel is removed from the teeth. In other words, teeth are ground down. This is done to give the veneers a better grip over the teeth and to make them look proportional. In the second step, temporary veneers are placed over the teeth. Permanent veneers are manufactured in a dental laboratory. They are manufactured in such a way that they look very similar to surrounding teeth. Temporary veneers are then removed and permanent veneers are placed. (more…)