Help! My Teeth Are Yellow

Nothing dampens your confidence quite as quickly as yellow teeth, and while there are plenty of over-the-counter options that promise to brighten your smile, the reality is that they often don’t deliver the results you want.

If you’re tired of trying over-the-counter products without any luck, there is help. Dr. Melissa Daza and Dr. Michelle Schwartz offer professional in-office teeth whitening options here at Bucktown Wicker Park Dental in Chicago, Illinois.

Here’s what you need to know.

The 411 on yellow teeth

Knowing what caused your yellow stains can help shape your treatment plan. That’s because not all types of stains respond the same way to whitening treatments. 

Some of the most common causes of yellow teeth include food and drink. Wine, tea, soda, tomato-based dishes, curry dishes, and berries can leave your teeth stained. Age and genetics, smoking cigarettes, and medications 一 especially doxycycline or tetracycline 一 can also contribute to yellow teeth.

Teeth can also become discolored (gray) if the nerve inside of your tooth dies. Unfortunately, teeth whitening treatments won’t eliminate stains from a tooth that has died.

Brighten your smile up to eight shades

Help is here! At Bucktown Wicker Park Dental, our team is happy to offer in-office whitening options to help you reach your aesthetic goals. Dr. Daza and Dr. Schwartz perform in-office treatments with the Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed system.

Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed brightens your teeth up to eight shades in just one visit by combining the power of a hydrogen peroxide-based whitening gel and an LED light. Together, the LED technology and the bleaching agent lift the strains gently from your teeth. 

The result is two-fold: a lustrous smile and a boost in confidence! 

You can maintain your pearly whites by brushing your teeth twice a day, using mouthwash and flossing daily, avoiding smoking, and rinsing your mouth after eating stain-inducing food.

How Zoom WhiteSpeed works

Before your teeth whitening treatment, your Bucktown Wicker Park Dental smile expert prepares your mouth and protects your gums. Once your mouth is ready, we apply a specially formulated hydrogen peroxide-based whitening gel. The whitening gel works at the molecular level to break down the bonds of your teeth’s stains. As the bonds in the stains break down, your stains are gently lifted without harming your enamel. 

What if whitening treatments aren’t right for you?

Although in-office whitening treatments can turn dull smiles into dazzling ones, they aren’t right for everyone. Whitening treatments won’t work on teeth with crowns or stubborn stains that developed as a result of medication side effects. 

Even if whitening options aren’t right for you, you’re still not out of options. Veneers are another potential option to help get rid of yellow teeth. They are thin shells of porcelain that cover the front surfaces of your teeth. Because all aspects 一 including the size, shape, and color 一 of your veneers are completely customizable, you can permanently eliminate yellow teeth with veneers.

You might consider veneers if:

• Your stains are permanent
• You have crowns or other dental appliances that can’t be whitened
• You have other cosmetic issues you’d like to address 

Not sure if teeth whitening or veneers are right for you? Both options can enhance the appearance of your smile, and our compassionate team can help you explore all of your options. 

A dazzling smile is just a call away! Schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation with Bucktown Wicker Park Dental to learn more about your professional teeth whitening and dental veneer options. Call our Chicago office at 773-252-2303.