How to Protect Your Teeth

Things To Know About Composite Bonding For Whitening Teeth

If you have overly sensitive teeth but would like them to be whiter, you may want to talk to your cosmetic dentist about alternative whitening options to standard bleaching methods. Standard bleaching methods used for whitening teeth can be very painful for a person with sensitive teeth, but there is a good alternative called bonding.

Why bleaching hurts

When teeth are overly sensitive, it is typically the result of worn-out enamel. Enamel is there to protect your teeth, but it cannot do this if it is worn off. When it wears away, inner parts of the teeth are exposed, and this leads to sensitivity. If you get your teeth whitened with bleaching methods, it can be excruciating, simply because the ingredients in the whitening get inside the tubules of your teeth. This causes the ingredients of the bleach to reach your nerves, and it can hurt very bad.

What bonding is

If you have ever had a cavity filled with a tooth-colored material, the material used was probably composite bonding. This is a plastic-based material that is ideal for filling cavities, but that is not its only use. This same material can also be placed on teeth for other purposes, and one of these purposes is to make them whiter. A dentist can place this on all your teeth or only on the teeth that are visible when you smile.

When this occurs, the dentist will use a bonding material that is the shade of white you would like your teeth to be. In addition to making your teeth whiter, this material will also serve another key purpose. It will seal your teeth. In other words, it acts like enamel and serves the same function. The end result of this is that your teeth may no longer be as sensitive as they once were.

If you have this done, your teeth will stay white for a very long time, but there are things that can stain bonded teeth. If you drink coffee, red wine, or tea, you may want to cut back as these beverages can stain teeth. You may also want to stop smoking if you have this done, because smoking can also discolor bonded teeth.

If you are tired of living with sensitive, discolored teeth, do something about it. You can learn more about teeth whitening services and bonding for whitening teeth by contacting a cosmetic dentist, like Dansville Family Dental Care, in your city today.


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