Teeth whitening is a popular treatment option for improving the appearance of your smile. An in-office, professional laser whitening treatment is the safest and most effective option. While teeth whitening can address some teeth appearance issues, it is not suitable for everyone. For this reason, it is important to understand who makes the best candidates and who does not. Here is who is a good candidate and who is not.
Good candidates for laser whitening
If you have good overall dental health but want to remove stains on your teeth and general discoloration from the surface of your teeth, you may be a good candidate. However, it is important that you have realistic expectations of what teeth whitening can accomplish. You also need to understand that there might be temporary side effects such as tooth sensitivity.
Bad candidates for laser whitening
If you have tooth discoloration from tooth damage or decay, teeth whitening is not a good treatment for you. These dental issues need to be treated before laser teeth whitening can be used effectively. Patients with discoloration that comes from inside the tooth and not on the surface are not good candidates because the bleaching agent only treats stains on dentin and enamel.
Other circumstances that make laser teeth whitening not an option or less successful include:
- Age and pregnancy issues.
- Sensitive teeth and allergies to products.
- Gum disease, worn enamel, cavities and exposed roots.
- Fillings, crowns and other restorations.
- Unrealistic expectations.
Contact Dr. Sara at Pinnacle Peak Family Dentistry to learn more about laser teeth whitening and to find out if you are a candidate for this procedure.
