How cosmetic dentistry can lighten the colour of your teeth

The best thing about cosmetic dentistry is that there are so many ways to transform you smile. With some 48% of UK adults unhappy with the way their current smile looks, it’s no surprise to learn that cosmetic dental treatment has risen rapidly in popularity over recent years. With celebrities, pop stars and reality TV personalities increasingly showing off beautiful transformations brought about through such treatment, the demand has been steadily growing among regular people, too.

Whilst cosmetic dentistry can address all manner of smile issues, the most common complaint heard by cosmetic dentists is about the shade of the teeth. There are many causes of tooth discolouration, and at Felmores Dental Care in Basildon the cosmetic dentistry team has many ways of solving the problem, often brightening up your smile in just a couple of appointments.

The first thing a cosmetic dentist will do is to establish what has caused your tooth staining, so that they can determine the best way to treat it. It’s a shocking statistic, but 66% of people have visible dental plaque. This isn’t just bad news for the way your smile looks; it’s also a risk to your health, because as well as being unsightly plaque can cause both gum disease and tooth decay.

The best way to get rid of plaque is to visit a dental hygienist, who will perform a professional scale and polish to cleanse your teeth of plaque, as well as helping you to improve your home brushing and flossing routine to reduce the chances of it coming back.

Even people with good oral hygiene find their teeth get stained, with a number of dietary and lifestyle factors playing a role. For this type of staining, teeth whitening is often the most appropriate treatment. When carried out by a dentist this is a reliable, gentle, and safe way of removing stains caused by such things as tea, coffee, and nicotine from the teeth.

At our Basildon dental clinic we offer two options for teeth whitening: home whitening, which takes two weeks, and power whitening, which takes place here in the dental practice.