Clean Teeth vs. White Teeth

 

Comparing teeth whitening and teeth cleaning is a lot like comparing apples and orangutans. Teeth whitening isn’t better or worse than teeth cleaning. They’re entirely different processes performed for very different reasons with very different implications if skipped. Here’s what you need to understand about teeth cleaning and teeth whitening in Yellowknife.

Teeth cleanings

Teeth cleanings are essential to your dental health. Having your teeth cleaned regularly at a dental clinic near you is essential to maintaining the health of your teeth, gums and mouth. Skipping teeth cleanings puts your oral health at risk.

The goal of teeth cleanings is to remove plaque and tartar from all the surfaces of your teeth and from along the line of your gums. Even if you brush your teeth effectively twice a day and floss your teeth and gums daily, the plaque has a tendency to linger and harden into tartar in hard-to-reach surfaces, nooks and crannies of your teeth. The combined effects of plaque, tartar, bacteria and acids in your mouth combine to produce tooth decay and gum disease that will if left unchecked, destroy tooth enamel and gum tissue. Having your teeth cleaned through a process called dental prophylaxis twice at least twice a year is an essential form of preventative treatment to reduce or eliminate the need for fillings and periodontal treatment.

Cleaning your teeth will remove substances that can change the apparent colour of your teeth, but cleaning them won’t change the colour of your enamel. Whitening can do that.

Teeth whitening

No matter how well you brush and floss — and even if you have your teeth cleaned at a dental clinic near you — there are a lot of factors that produce stains on your teeth. Those factors range from the side effects of medication, injury and infection to foods and drinks like coffee, red wine tea and the effects of habits like smoking cigarettes.

Even healthy and clean teeth will become stained over time. That staining on healthy and clean teeth is not a health or dental issue but is a cosmetic issue. Stained teeth are not unnecessarily unhealthy. Stained teeth are not necessarily more vulnerable to tooth decay or cavities. Rather, people with stained and discoloured teeth often experience personal dissatisfaction with their appearance and loss of self-esteem. Having those stains removed through zoom whitening near you or another whitening option can improve the appearance of healthy teeth and restore your self-esteem quickly.

Teeth whitening is not an alternative to tooth cleaning. Teeth cleaning and teeth whitening near you are different processes with different goals. Many people are entirely satisfied with clean teeth even if they aren’t as white as they used to be or could be. On the other hand, many people are rejuvenated and excited by having their teeth whitened and find that whiter teeth are more beautiful and youthful-looking. If you want to be excited about the appearance of your teeth again, make an appointment with a dentist near you to have your teeth whitened after having them cleaned. Your dentist in Yellowknife will describe the options for whitening your teeth by several shades in a single appointment in the office or even with take-home kits provided by your dentist. Yes, there are DIY options you can get from drugstores and grocery stores, but there’s simply no substitute for the professional advice and support of a trained dentist committed to maximizing the health and beauty of your smile.