Few things can transform a person’s smile as quickly and affordably as professional teeth whitening. When your teeth are pearly white, it sends others the message that you are healthy and full of vitality. With professional teeth whitening at Bearley Dental in Charlottesville, VA, you can achieve a whiter, brighter smile in just a fraction of the time as you can with an at-home teeth whitening kit.

What causes tooth stains and discolorations?

When our teeth first grow in, they typically have a beautiful white luster. But unfortunately, many of our favorite foods and beverages and a number of other factors can contribute to a yellowed, dulled, or stained appearance to our teeth over time. There are two types of tooth stains: intrinsic and extrinsic.

• Extrinsic stains are the ones that first come to mind when you think about why teeth become discolored: they are due to consuming deeply pigmented foods and beverages like tea, coffee, red wine, and blueberries, or can be caused by using tobacco products. These stains occur because the pigments in the food or tobacco adhere to the surface of the tooth and become trapped within the small tubules in the enamel, causing a yellowed or discolored appearance.
• Intrinsic stains are those that are formed from within the tooth rather than being deposited on the outside. They can occur for various reasons, including taking certain medications such as tetracycline, consuming too much fluoride, developing a high fever while your tooth enamel is developing as a child, and thinning enamel due to natural aging processes.

Benefits of professional teeth whitening

While it can be tempting to pick up an at-home tooth whitening kit at your local grocery store or pharmacy, we encourage patients to try professional teeth whitening to rejuvenate their smile because of the many benefits it offers beyond over-the-counter kits:

• Comfort and convenience: At-home kits require hours of treatment with poorly fitting trays or uncomfortable and messy strips. With professional teeth whitening, your treatment lasts just 30 to 60 minutes at a time.
• Effectiveness: With professional teeth whitening, you can achieve results up to 10 times whiter than over-the-counter whitening solutions.
• Safety: We use medical-grade tooth whitening gels that are stronger and can achieve better results while using a safer technique that keeps the gel only on your teeth–where it belongs– and off your gums and other sensitive tissues.

To learn more about professional teeth whitening at Bearley Dental, call us today at (434) 443-8034 !