Having discolored teeth is a common problem. While it might be comforting to know that you’re not alone if you have discolored teeth, the knowledge doesn’t make your teeth any whiter or your embarrassment any less. The good news is modern dentistry gives us plenty of ways to whiten discolored teeth. Even if the root cause of your dental discoloration is genetics or too much exposure to fluoride as a kid, you can get perfectly white teeth with dental veneers. Many people don’t have to do anything quite so involved. Simple bleaching or whitening treatments are sufficient. Should you take the plunge? Let’s look at some reasons why now is a good time to whiten your teeth.
What Causes Discolored Teeth?
There are various causes of discolored teeth. Color pigments from dark-colored food or drinks can attach to the enamel and cause stains. Coffee, red wine, and tea are some big culprits to watch out for. Exposure to tar and nicotine can cause dark-colored and yellow stains respectively. As you might have guessed, your teeth can be exposed to this through tobacco use. Some medications can cause tooth discoloration. Even babies exposed to certain medications in the womb can have trouble with their adult teeth being discolored later in life.
A tooth that has sustained an injury will sometimes fortify itself with a thicker layer of dentin. This substance is slightly darker than tooth enamel, causing your tooth to look discolored and a reason you may want to whiten your teeth. Finally, your teeth may be discoloring as the natural part of aging as your tooth enamel slowly weakens.
Why Should You Whiten Your Teeth?
Tooth whitening isn’t as difficult as you might think. There are various methods available both in the dentist’s office and as an at-home treatment with whitening trays. Which type is right for you will depend on the extent of the discoloration and what has caused it. But is tooth whitening really worth the fuss? Let’s look at several reasons why you should consider whitening your teeth.
A Radiant Smile a smile is powerful. It’s energizing, it’s contagious. It’s actually physically difficult to frown when looking at a person who is smiling. People naturally love being around happy, smiling people. However, having discolored teeth can make us feel embarrassed about our smile and keep it hidden as much as possible. This ends up being a bigger detriment to our daily lives than discolored teeth.
Smiling during a job interview can help you land the job of your dreams. Smiling during a date will make you more attractive to your partner. People you meet throughout your day will smile at you because you smiled at them. You’ll feel far more fulfilled and happy if you aren’t hiding away your smile.
Self-Confidence
Happiness isn’t the only aspect of your mental health that smiling can affect. It can also give you a confidence boost. Think about a person you know who you would describe as confident. Do they always seem to have a cheery smile at the ready? They probably do and it’s probably quite engaging and infectious. You can do the same. Did you know that you can even force a smile and watch how a real one comes on its heels? The simple act of smiling makes you feel happier and more confident. But knowing that your teeth are discolored can destroy your desire to smile. A simple tooth whitening regime can totally change the way you think about yourself from the inside out.
A Special Occasion
Do you have a big life event coming up this year? Maybe you’re graduating, getting married, or hitting a special milestone birthday. Regardless of the type of event, there’s one thing happy special occasions always bring with them — lots of smiles. You should be free to enjoy yourself and show how happy you are with a huge smile. You don’t want to be hiding your teeth because you’re embarrassed by what color they are.
You might be able to tell yourself to relax, nobody will remember the color of your teeth after the party. But there’s another problem, special occasions often come with lots of pictures. Your discolored teeth will be captured and put on display for eternity.…unless you whiten your teeth first, of course.
Look Younger
We get older every year, that’s a normal part of life. But some years hit us harder than others. For example, 30 marks the fact that you’re leaving behind your youth and carefree days, and 40 is over the hill.
It’s common for tooth enamel to wear away as you age. This makes it easier for your teeth to become stained and discolored. As such, many of us subconsciously associate discolored teeth with becoming old. Thus, whitening your teeth can give you a younger appearance.
Erase the Effects of Diet Choices
Do you enjoy having a nice cup of Joe each morning? Coffee can be a great pick-me-up when you’re feeling less than energetic. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how coffee can be staining for your teeth.
And it’s not just coffee. Soda drinks with their artificial colorants are a bad choice on many levels. The sugar reacts with your teeth, opening holes and allowing the pigments from the dark-coped food or drink to get in and cause damage to otherwise healthy teeth.
White Teeth for the Win!
Convinced? There are lots of good reasons to make this the year that you whiten your teeth. Shop SportingSmiles and receive your premium whitening trays to get your perfect smile back! Looking for a quality at-home tooth whitening kit that can help you take charge of how your teeth look?
