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Professional teeth whitening is an increasingly popular treatment. The teeth whitening procedure is a simple and effective way to create a dramatic improvement in the appearance of your smile.

Initial Consultation

In preparation for your treatment, your dentist will give you a full dental check-up and try to analyze where the stains in your mouth have originated. It is important for the dentist to determine this, as it will help him or her decide how effective your treatments will be. If you have particularly difficult staining that your dentist believes will not respond to teeth whitening treatments, he may suggest that you explore other cosmetic dentistry options, such as porcelain veneers, to achieve your desired results.

Treatment Details

On the day of your treatment, your dentist will give you a quick cleaning and then apply peroxide to your teeth. Then, the teeth are exposed to a special light that helps to activate the whitening gel. The professional teeth whitening treatment takes approximately one hour. During this time, you can relax in the dentist's chair while the whitening gel works to remove stains from your teeth.

Expected Results

If you are unhappy about the way your teeth look and you feel that teeth whitening will only give you partial results, you may want to consider porcelain dental veneers. A veneer is a thin piece of porcelain that is permanently adhered to the front of the tooth. Veneers give the appearance of a bright, white, and completely healthy smile.

Treatment Information

Porcelain veneers are custom-designed to fit easily over a tooth, or teeth, to cover worn enamel, spaces, chips, cracks, or even minor misalignments. Porcelain veneers are considered a cosmetic dentistry treatment because they can easily conceal a number of aesthetic concerns. They are an increasingly popular treatment option thanks to their versatility and their reputation for natural-looking results.

Candidacy for Veneers

Before you have the porcelain veneers applied to your teeth, your dentist will need to make sure that you are a good candidate for the procedure. If too many of your teeth have cavities or are in an advanced state of decay, you may not qualify. Your teeth will need to be healthy, but stained or discolored to the point where teeth whitening will not be effective. After your initial consultation, your dentist will make a mold of your teeth so that the porcelain veneers can be made specifically to fit your mouth.

Procedure Details

On the day you get your porcelain veneers, your dentist will give you a cleaning to remove any plaque or tartar from your teeth. A small layer of enamel will be removed from the front surfaces of your teeth to make room for the veneers, which will then be permanently bonded in place. You may notice a bit of an adjustment period as you get used to the feeling of having veneers on your teeth, and you will likely be asked to forego food and water for a few hours following your procedure, but by the end of the day, you can resume normal activities.