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Should I Get Teeth Whitening or Veneers?

Lady smiles

Your teeth chew through a lot of material over the years, and some foods and drinks can leave their mark on your enamel. Frequently consuming beverages like coffee, tea, red wine, sports drinks, and snacks like berries and colorful candies can cause teeth to develop unsightly discoloration, and tobacco use can result in yellow stains. Luckily, a variety of cosmetic dental treatments can brighten your smile despite these issues. Here’s an overview of teeth whitening and porcelain veneers to help you determine which is best for you.

How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

While you can find many purported teeth whitening products at stores and pharmacies, they don’t typically deliver strong or long-lasting results, and some of them can cause injury due to user error. On the other hand, professional teeth whitening treatments from your dentist can leave your teeth up to ten shades whiter, and its results can last for up to three years with excellent care. These treatments come in two varieties:

  • An in-office procedure can be completed in about an hour. Your dentist will place barriers in your mouth to protect your soft tissues before treating your teeth with a few coats of a powerful whitening agent.
  • Take-home kits include a tube of professional-grade whitening gel and a set of dental trays customized to fit your teeth. You’ll only need to place some of the gel into your trays and wear them for about an hour daily for two weeks.

What Are Veneers?

Veneers are thin shells made of porcelain or ceramic designed to fit over troubled teeth, covering up flaws like chips, cracks, gaps, and stains. They can be placed in as few as two appointments, made painless by local anesthetics. They require a tiny amount of enamel to be removed from your teeth before being cemented in place, and if they receive excellent care, they can last for fifteen years or more before needing replacement.

If stains and discoloration are your only concerns, teeth whitening is probably the best option for you. However, veneers may be the more suitable method if your stains do not respond to teeth whitening or if you have more flaws that you’d like to address. Consulting with your dentist can determine if you are a good candidate for either treatment.

About the Practice

Pelican Landing Dental offers personalized, high-quality dental services in Bonita Springs, FL. Led by an experienced team of skilled dentists, the staff treats each patient with individualized care to help them achieve their ideal smile. Areas of expertise include preventive, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry, such as veneers and teeth whitening. If you’re ready to schedule a consultation with one of the skilled Bonita Springs cosmetic dentists at our office, contact our office online or dial (239) 899-6707.