There’s Still Time to Whiten Your Smile for Wedding Season

If you're planning a wedding or attending one soon, you may be thinking about how to look your best, and your smile plays a big part in that because it's often the first thing others notice. 

At Tenth Street Family Dental in Indianapolis, Indiana, our experienced team offers professional teeth whitening to help you feel confident and wedding-ready. 

As a veteran-owned dental practice, we believe that affordability and accessibility are crucial for our clients, so we provide cosmetic treatments like teeth whitening and general and laser dentistry in one convenient location.

We use a safe, trusted teeth whitening system that delivers fast results because we understand how important it is for you to see a brighter smile as soon as possible. Here's what you should know about teeth whitening before wedding season.

Causes of tooth discoloration

When discussing teeth whitening, we can't ignore the whole reason you might need it: tooth discoloration. If you've noticed your teeth looking duller or darker than they once did, there are a few main culprits, including:

Aging

Enamel naturally thins over time. This allows increased visibility of the underlying tooth layer, the dentin. It's naturally yellowish, which can leave you feeling unhappy with your smile.

And, the thinner your tooth enamel is, the more prone it is to staining. That brings us to the main cause of stains.

Food and beverages

Coffee, tea, and dark sodas can quickly darken teeth, especially if they're a daily habit. Certain other foods and drinks, such as red wine, tomato-based sauces, and brightly colored berries, can also leave stains on your teeth over time.

Smoking

Nearly 30% of smokers have moderate-to-severe teeth stains. The main factor is tar, a dark, sticky material that can cling to the teeth. It's what causes deeper yellow or brown stains.

Nicotine can also play a role. Although it's colorless on its own, it turns yellow when it mixes with oxygen.

Over time, tar and nicotine soak into the tiny pores of your enamel, making the stains hard to remove with regular brushing. The more often you smoke, the more layers of stain build up, and the harder it becomes to keep your teeth looking white.

Smoking also reduces saliva flow, which normally helps clean your mouth, so stains and plaque can stick around longer. 

Certain medications, poor oral hygiene, and other factors can contribute to tooth stains, too.

No matter the reason, if your smile is darker than you’d like it to be, teeth whitening can help restore a bright, clean appearance.

How professional teeth whitening can help

The whitening process is simple and easy. Our team places a shield to protect your gums and then applies a high-strength peroxide-based gel to your teeth.

We shine a powerful light directly onto the treated teeth, which starts the stain-busting action. 

Depending on your tooth color and desired level of whiteness, our dentists may repeat the process several times, with each round taking about 15 minutes. Total treatment time is only about an hour, and you can leave our office with dramatically whiter teeth!

We also offer take-home kits. You wear trays with whitening gel for a set period every day (or, possibly overnight, depending on your plan). The take-home system can be quite effective, but it can take longer because it's a lower-strength peroxide gel. If you still have several weeks or more before your big event, this could be a good option.

Whether you choose the in-office or at-home option, our team gives you tips to maintain your results and protect your enamel.

Teeth whitening in Indianapolis

There’s still time to brighten your smile before the next big event, but you need to move fast. Call Tenth Street Family Dental in Indianapolis, Indiana, at 317-358-8885 to book your whitening session today.