Rewinding the Years: Dental Care Tips for Older Adults

Most people start out with nice and white teeth when that adult set comes in. Proper dental care and routine trips to see the dentist will keep those teeth looking good, generally through childhood. However, even the best of oral care can't prevent some things from happening as part of a natural course. Over time, those white and shiny teeth will start to look duller, and they will become darker. Eventually, teeth staining that happens over time will cause the discoloration and staining to become more obvious. If you haven't had a tooth whitening treatment yet, you may be looking this information up because you are at the point where your own discoloration has become obvious. Here is a short article on some common questions many first-time teeth whiteners ask and the answers to those questions.

How white can your teeth get with whitening?

The best that you would ever be able to hope for is to get your teeth back to their natural whiteness. No amount of whitening would possibly be able to get them whiter than their natural color. However, the degree of whitening you can achieve depends on many factors.

If you have gone years past what you should have and your teeth now have many years worth of staining, then you should expect to see a possible whitening of a few shades. While this will make your teeth appear a lot whiter, it won't bring them back to their natural color.

In order to keep your teeth looking as great as possible, you need to have them whitened before a lot of damage is done and have treatments done according to what y our dentist recommends.

How do professional treatments compare to store-bought products?

Store-bought whitening products don't contain the strength of ingredients professional grade whitening products contain and this makes them less effective. Also, the dental offices have other forms of teeth whitening treatments available that the stores can't offer. A couple of examples of these types of treatments include laser whitening and power whitening treatments.

How often do you need treatments to retain white teeth?

The frequency in which you need to have teeth whitening treatments done will depend on a number of factors. These include your age, your eating habits, whether you are a smoker, the shape of your enamel, the oral care products you use, how well you follow the recommended oral care you are supposed to at home, and more.

For more information, reach out to dental clinics like Pinon Hills Dental.