Teeth Whitening | Steinbicker Family Dentistry • Mebane

Come to our Mebane dental office for teeth whitening and a brighter smile. We make custom bleach trays to whiten your teeth. Want a brighter smile? Look no further than Steinbicker Family Dentistry.

How teeth whitening works

First, we take impressions of your top and bottom teeth. We make replicas of your real teeth using a material called alginate. This material takes a 3-D picture of your teeth. Second, we pour dental stone into the alginate. This stone makes casts of your teeth. Lastly, dental assistants melt clear plastic onto the teeth mold. As a result, we have clear trays you can wear.

Patients put a small amount of tooth whitening material into clear retainers. This substance makes your teeth brighter. Patients often get their teeth whitened after they had braces (i.e., orthodontics).

Make your teeth brighter

Tooth whitening works best with patients that have extrinsic stains. Extrinsic and intrinsic stains discolor teeth. Intrinsic stains are staining on the inside of teeth. This type of stain happens during tooth development.

Some antibiotics cause intrinsic stains such as tetracycline. Coffee, soda, and tea can cause extrinsic stains. Using an electric toothbrush and getting teeth cleaning every six months can remove external tooth coloring.

Whiten your teeth through bleaching

Dental bleach comes in two types of materials: hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. Bleach works by breaking up stains into smaller particles. As a result, the stain becomes less concentrated, making your teeth whiter.

What changes tooth color?

1. Tobacco use: Smoking and smokeless tobacco both cause your teeth to turn brown and yellow
2. Age: Our tooth enamel wears down for many reasons such as teeth grinding and trauma. Underneath tooth enamel is dentin. Dentin is naturally yellow. When enamel wears down, the dentin shows through our teeth. As a result, they appear more yellow.
3. Certain drinks and foods: Foods and beverages (i.e., tea, soda, coffee, and red wine can make our teeth turn darker).
4. Trauma: Injured teeth can turn black. When a tooth dies, it loses its blood vessels and nerves. As a result, the tooth becomes dark.
5. Drugs: Certain medications like antibiotics can cause intrinsic staining. Chemotherapy and radiation also cause dark teeth.