How a Smile Makeover Can Restore the Color of Your Teeth

You might need a smile makeover if you are unhappy with the color of your teeth. The procedure involves combining cosmetic treatments to meet your unique needs. Some of the reasons your teeth can end up becoming discolored include:

• Tooth Decay
• Coloring agents in food and beverages
• Smoking
• Thinning enamel due to aging
• Tetracycline antibiotics
• Overexposure to flouride

How a smile makeover restores the color of teeth

The type of stains a patient has often dictate how a dentist approaches improving the color of their teeth. Stains caused by smoking, the things a person consumes, or thinning enamel can be fixed with bleaching agents. Others like stains caused by tooth decay are typically covered up with restorations like composite bonding, veneers, or crowns to improve their appearance.

Treatments that might be included as part of a patient’s smile makeover to address stains and discoloration include:

1. Teeth whitening

This is often included in cosmetic makeovers, and it is an effective way to improve the color of teeth. It involves using bleaching agents to remove stains from deep within teeth and their surfaces. It is effective on stains caused by smoking, consumables, or aging. A single whitening treatment performed by a dentist improves the whiteness of the patient’s teeth by up to eight shades.

A single whitening treatment is enough for some patients to reach the desired color, while those with badly discolored teeth might need additional treatments.

2. Composite bonding

Composite bonding involves applying a composite resin directly to a tooth. The composite is color-matched with the patient’s teeth, and it can be painted on stains to cover them up. Composite bonding is usually recommended when the patient has stains that will not respond to bleaching agents like those caused by tooth decay, taking tetracycline antibiotics, or overexposure to fluoride.

Bonding is a non-invasive procedure that does not require alterations being made to the tooth. The procedure is completed during a single visit to a dentist, so the patient walks out of the clinic with their stained tooth restored.

3. Veneers

As is the case with composite bonding, these tooth-shaped shells are typically recommended when teeth whitening treatments will not be effective. These restorations cover up the front part of teeth, hiding any stains there. Veneers are also used to address issues like crooked teeth, short teeth, and minor chips, so a dentist might opt to skip whitening treatments if a patient has other issues that require the use of veneers.

4. Crowns

Crowns cover up the visible part of a tooth, hiding any stains or defects on it. The crown also provides restorative benefits like protecting the tooth from bite forces.

Teeth need to be prepared for crowns by removing enamel from their sides. This is a permanent alteration that cannot be reversed in the future. The tooth will always need a restoration serving as artificial enamel moving forward.