Over time, our diet and other habits could impact the brightness of our teeth. Soon, stains could develop that affect the beauty and brightness of our teeth. Fortunately, we have a unique option to remove stains and offer smiles several shades brighter for our Mansfield, TX, patients. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at our take-home kit and discuss changes to your daily habits to combat teeth stains.

How Does the Kit Work?

The take-home kit often helps our patients enjoy smiles brightened by several shades. We begin by taking detailed impressions and measurements of your smile, which we use to create a set of plastic trays. Next, we will prescribe a powerful bleaching gel. At home, you will fill the trays with gel and wear them for about 30 to 45 minutes a day, depending on the dentist’s recommendation. The tray helps spread the gel evenly across the teeth, ensuring complete whitening. The total treatment time will depend on the cause and extent of your discoloration, but optimal results typically take between a week and ten days. Following treatment, you can keep the trays and the remaining gel for touch-ups in the coming months. The treatment is also designed to limit tooth sensitivity and even helps address minor intrinsic stains, also known as permanent discoloration, the kind that must typically be covered with bonding or veneers.

How Do I Keep My Smile Bright?

Your results can last for several months, especially if you take proper care of your smile. For example, a major factor in the appearance of discoloration is plaque buildup. Plaque forms on the teeth as a result of bacteria breaking down food particles. This sticky layer not only leads to staining, but also weakens tooth enamel and inflames gum tissue, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. To help control buildup, you should brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each session, and floss every night before bed. We also suggest a thorough dental cleaning every six months, in which we remove all plaque from your smile.

To avoid stains we also suggest quitting any and all tobacco products, and also cutting back on drinks with dark pigments, such as soda, red wine, tea, and coffee. Reducing your consumption of foods with high amounts of sugar and starch, which feed harmful oral bacteria, can also improve your smile’s brightness. If you have any questions about our take-home kit, then contact our team today.

Do You Want a Brighter Smile?

If you would like to know more about our cosmetic solutions to discoloration, then let our team know. To learn more about cosmetic dental care, then schedule a consultation by calling our dentist’s office in Mansfield, TX, today at 817-473-6227.