Are you considering investing in having your teeth whitened? Here are some tips from our Surrey dentists on how to tell if it's right for you.
The degree of teeth whiteness that is most attractive is pretty subjective, but there are a few ways that you can go about deciding whether you would benefit from teeth whitening. At the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is your own.
To help you to decide, here are a few things to consider:
Do you smile openly and confidently at people, and in pictures?
If you think your teeth look dingy or discoloured, you may find that you don't smile as openly as you’d really like.
If this is the case for you then teeth whitening might help you feel a more confident about your smile!
Look yourself in the eye: how well do your teeth measure up?
A helpful trick for determining how white your teeth should be is to compare them to the whites of your eyes. If your teeth are close in shade of white to the whites of your eyes, then you probably don’t want to make them any whiter, or it might start to look artificial.
However, if you discover that your teeth are somewhat darker than the whites of your eyes then whitening might be a good choice for you.
Have you undergone any dental restorations or orthodontic treatment?
If you already have dental restorations, or if you plan to get some, teeth whitening may play a role in the process. Ideally, the shade of your natural teeth should closely match that of your restorations in order to achieve an even natural looking smile. Teeth whitening can help to achieve a close match.
If you have had braces in the past, there may be some spots, where the brackets were attached to your teeth, that are lighter than the rest each tooth. These light spots can make your teeth appear uneven or patchy. Teeth whitening can help to significantly reduce this spotting effect.
What does your dentist think?
Ask your dentist for his or her opinion about whether teeth whitening might be good for you. Your dentist can help you to decide with the help of a dental colour chart, and provide you with all of the details you need to make an informed decision.