Are Your Teeth Yellow?

By Holly Guard Mayher, DDS

You look in the mirror and suddenly you realize your teeth are darker than you remembered. As we age, there is a natural tendency for our teeth to discolor. Today, there are options for making your smile as bright as it can be.
Whitening is one option. There is take-home whitening, as well as lightening the teeth in the dental chair.
Take-home whitening involves having impressions taken of the teeth. From the impressions, models of the mouth are formed. Trays are made from these models. Whitening gel is then placed and the trays are worn in the mouth for a certain amount of time each day for 5-10 days, depending on how much brightening the teeth need.
Lightening the teeth in the dental chair involves applying a special gel to the teeth and a light is placed over the mouth to enhance the brightening process. It takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and half.
If the tooth shade, shape and position are unappealing, you may consider an all-porcelain crown, which covers the whole tooth or veneer made of porcelain, which cover a portion of the tooth.
There is no need to be trapped with yellow or gray poorly shaped teeth. Dont give up on a beautiful smile. Its yours for the asking.