Everyone wants a beautiful smile, but a surprising number of people don’t get the treatments they need for the results they desire. One reason for this may be just general confusion regarding which procedures get used for which purposes. For instance, General Dentistry in Kingwood TX will examine, x-ray and clean a patient’s teeth strictly for maintenance reasons. To get that dazzling, the white shine will require another dental procedure known as whitening.
Dental whitening is an easy process where the dentist creates a small chemical reaction inside the mouth. This happens because the whitening procedure uses a form of peroxide known as carbamide peroxide. Once the carbamide gel or paste is in place, a small amount of water begins the chemical change. Water and carbamide convert into hydrogen peroxide which is what actually causes the cleaning process. This method is chosen because the reaction helps to drive the peroxide deep under the enamel. The cleaning procedure should only take about a half an hour, but the final results may take seven to ten days to see.
Another reason to seek out General Dentistry in Kingwood TX is to repair a problem before it becomes a disaster. The most common issue, in this case, is caries (cavities), but chips and breaks are also serious concerns. Small cavities are usually handled by drilling out the damaged dentin and filling the space with an inert material. The end result should be a filling that protects the tooth from further degradation.
A chipped tooth or damaged outer shell requires careful treatment to restore the shape of the tooth and still be able to bite properly. This repair is handled by bonding a strong resin over the damaged area and then shaping the tooth once the resin has dried. This type of repair requires a bit of skill since the resin or putty used for bonding will need to match the normal color of the tooth. One downside to this process, the teeth will no longer whiten evenly. This happens because the color of the resin does not change and there is no way to limit the whitening process once it is started. Contact Rowntree Richard D DDS, to learn more about dental procedures and improving smiles.
