Do you brush and floss diligently, yet your teeth aren’t staying as white as you’d like? When it comes to dull, stained, or discolored teeth, your oral hygiene routine is only one piece of the puzzle.
If you’re tired of hiding your smile, see the expert team at LA Dental Town in East Los Angeles, California. We offer advanced cosmetic solutions to help you look and feel your best, including teeth whitening and veneers. Here, we explore why your teeth don’t stay bright and white and what you can do about it.
While brushing and flossing are essential to remove plaque and food debris on and around your teeth, they can’t always prevent staining. Let’s take a look at the two main types of tooth discoloration:
Certain foods and beverages — such as coffee, tea, berries, pasta sauce, and red wine — contain strong pigments that stain your teeth with repeated exposure. Tobacco is another major culprit.
These pigments cling to microscopic grooves in the tooth enamel, causing stubborn stains and yellowing that often evade your efforts to brush them away.
Intrinsic stains come from within the tooth. This type of discoloration may be the result of dental trauma, certain medications or health conditions, or overexposure to fluoride during childhood (dental fluorosis).
Aging also has a role in discoloration. As you get older, your enamel naturally thins, allowing the yellowish dentin layer inside the tooth to show through. Some people are genetically presdisposed to thinner enamel and less-white teeth.
Because intrinsic stains exist below the enamel, they’re impossible to remove with brushing alone and may not respond to at-home whitening treatments.
Whether you’re dealing with surface-level discoloration or a deeper issue, our team can help you achieve a brighter, whiter smile. Regular dental cleanings keep stains at bay, but a real smile makeover requires advanced solutions. We may recommend:
Laser teeth whitening is a fast and effective way to tackle both extrinsic and intrinsic stains. Unlike at-home whitening kits, our treatments use a stronger, medical-grade bleaching agent that penetrates deeply to lift years of discoloration.
During the procedure, we apply the whitening gel to your teeth and activate it using a specialized laser light. After a single, one-hour appointment, you can see dramatic, uniform results that can last up to three years.
When stubborn discoloration is accompanied by chips, cracks, or other imperfections, veneers may be the perfect solution. These are custom-made, thin porcelain shells that bond to your teeth to instantly change their color, shape, or size.
We begin the process by removing a small amount of enamel from the tooth to make room for the porcelain overlay. We then take digital dental impressions to provide the blueprint for your custom veneers. Once ready, we bond them securely into place. We also offer Lumineers®, which require minimal tooth preparation beforehand.
With proper care, including twice-daily brushing, flossing, and regular dental cleanings, veneers can provide a whiter, brighter, and more even smile that lasts for over a decade.
There’s nothing quite like the confidence that comes with healthy, beautiful teeth. To get started on your brilliant new smile, schedule a consultation at LA Dental Town by calling or messaging our office today.
