Whiter Teeth For Smokers And Ex-Smokers

Bad habits of the past don’t have to have visible consequences forever.
If you are in your middle age and beyond (or possibly even younger) there is a reasonable chance that you have spent some of your life as a smoker. Some of you may have successfully stopped whilst others may still be struggling to quit, while others have no intention, unfortunately, of doing so.
Whatever stage you are at in your life as a smoker or ex-smoker, most of you would hopefully acknowledge that it is harmful to your health and also your oral health, and is something that you should try to stop doing as soon as possible. In addition to the risks to your general health such as cancer and heart disease, any smoker, or ex-smoker, will tell you that smoking has a nasty habit of staining your teeth, sometimes quite badly. If you still smoke, you might accept this as par for the course. If you have quit though, you will probably not want to have the reminder of your smoking habit in the form of discoloured teeth. Let us take a look then at some of the options for improving the appearance of your teeth at our Canterbury dentist’s surgery.
Scale and polish
Although not designed to whiten your teeth, this routine treatment during your appointment with the hygienist at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic does help to remove some surface staining. As it is a procedure that everyone should have on a regular basis, and especially if you smoke and are therefore at a higher risk of gum disease, it is certainly worth having done anyway. If your smoking has been light, this might just be sufficient to improve the colour of your teeth and even if it doesn’t, it will help your overall oral health anyway. For those whose smile doesn’t improve enough from this, there are two other options available to you.
Teeth whitening
At our Canterbury dental practice we offer a popular and pain free teeth whitening treatment that has benefitted many people with discoloured and stained teeth, including those caused by smoking. It is also a relatively affordable treatment and is therefore a good option for anyone wishing to improve the whiteness of their smile. In some situations the staining might be too severe to make the improvements that you want if you have smoked, and dental veneers, which we will discuss in a moment, may be a better option for you. Many who have smoked have found this to be an effective treatment though so is a good option if you are looking to improve the colour of your teeth.
The tooth whitening procedure uses applications of a bleaching agent that improves not only the tooth surface colour but also lightens the inner part of the tooth. This part of the tooth starts to darken as we get older, making this an especially beneficial treatment for those of us no longer in our youth.
The effects of this procedure are long lasting but will eventually fade. Any patients that don’t want this simply as a one off treatment for a special occasion, can discuss a treatment plan with the cosmetic dentist to enable them to have a consistent whiteness throughout each year.
Dental veneers
While a teeth whitening procedure can certainly benefit some smokers and ex smokers, those whose teeth have become badly stained or discoloured may need a more permanent treatment in order to fit porcelain dental veneers. Instead of whitening the surface of the natural tooth, veneers are used, in many cases, to actually replace the stained and discoloured enamel front surface. This usually involves the removal of a fine layer from the front surface of the tooth. This will be done using a local anaesthetic to minimise any potential discomfort you might feel.
Once this part of the treatment is complete, impressions will be taken of the teeth and temporary veneers will be fitted to protect them while your new and final veneers are produced from the impressions that we have taken. Once these are ready, usually a week or so, the temporary ones will be removed and the new veneers fitted using a strong dental adhesive. Once this has been done, the veneers will be trimmed and polished to provide not only a white smile but a natural look and feel too.
Smoking is very dangerous for your general and oral health. Cancers and serious gum disease problems can occur and we strongly recommend that you make every effort to quit. Remember that when you do, your teeth don’t have to look the way that they may do now. Our cosmetic dentistry team is here to help you have a nicer smile and we will be pleased to offer advice and help to make sure that you have the most effective treatment for your own situation.
If you would like to see how we can whiten your teeth, whether a smoker, ex smoker or even non smoker, why not give us a call? You can phone Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic on 01227 463529.