I suppose the question one needs to ask is “why do you want white teeth?” For some people, whiter teeth will improve their self image, their confidence. For others, it may help them in their careers, being more successful. It may be that you wish to improve your social life or to impress others. For whatever the reason, a bright smile with white teeth can now be achieved quite simply.

There are many reasons why teeth are not as white as they can be. Staining can happen internally during development or be altered by medications like Tetracycline, or externally from stains like coffee, tea, wine, smoke, certain spices and foods like blueberries. Some of these stains can be removed when you go to the dentist to have your teeth cleaned, but when that isn’t enough, people will search for other whitening methods.

Simple options could be the use of whitening gels administered in a tray that is custom made to be worn over the teeth for a specific time each day. Other methods could include laser whitening which is done in the dentist chair.

Still, there are times when the stains or discolourations are so stubborn that whitening just doesn’t work well enough. These are the situations where porcelain veneers can be fabricated to not only change the colour but sometimes to change the shape and arrangement of the teeth.

It is so good that we live in a day and age when technology has advanced so much that we have choices available to us. Just ask your friendly dentist the next time you visit to see what options will work for you.