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If you’re considering teeth whitening or porcelain veneers, you may wonder which is the best option. Here’s a quick rundown of each treatment to help you make a decision:

What does teeth whitening do?

With a single visit to your dentist, teeth whitening can brighten your smile by up to eight shades. The dentist will apply a specially formulated hydrogen peroxide-based gel to your teeth and leave it on for as long as directed (15 minutes with ZOOM!) at this appointment.

The bleaching gel in the activator is exposed to an activating light, which allows the peroxide to permeate the teeth thoroughly. This technique is completed three times before you depart with a significantly brighter smile.

Teeth whitening is most effective for stains that have developed over time due to drinking red wine, coffee, tea, and other highly-colored meals and beverages.

Dental prosthetics, such as crowns, bridges, and veneers, cannot be whitened.

What Can Porcelain Veneers Do?

Porcelain veneers are ultra-thin shell-like prosthetics that cover natural teeth to correct a variety of dental problems, including:

  • Discoloration caused by medications, illness, or genetics
  • Teeth that are misshapen or worn down
  • Teeth that are chipped or cracked
  • Teeth that are uneven or slightly misaligned
  • Teeth with small gaps

Porcelain veneers can repair severely damaged teeth into a beautiful smile in as little as two visits. The first step is to take an impression of your teeth for comparison, and the teeth that will receive the veneers are prepared. Your dentist removes a tiny section of each tooth and then gets the final impression for the lab to use in fabricating your veneers.

When you return for your second visit (about two weeks later), the dentist will fasten the veneers to your teeth, and you’ll be on your way with a beautiful smile!

Combining Teeth Whitening and Porcelain Veneers

If you have both dental staining and structural damage, you might be able to get your teeth whitened first to remove the stains on your natural teeth and then match the new veneers to that hue. This approach is the most cost-effective technique for treating a smile with external discoloration and other cosmetic issues.

Finding the Right Cosmetic Dentist

Your teeth must be in good shape before undergoing aesthetic therapies like whitening or veneers.

If you have a healthy but imperfect smile and live in Glenview or Libertyville, contact Attar Dental right away. Your dream smile is just a phone call away!

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