307 Grafton St #203, Shrewsbury, MA 01545

An Easy Dental Pick-Me-Up

If your teeth seem drab and unexciting, an easy dental pick-me-up can change that in less than an hour: teeth whitening! Here at Modern Dentistry of Shrewsbury we offer Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed which can brighten your teeth up to eight shades in just 45 minutes. Teeth whitening is the most effective against extrinsic stains which are stains that cumulatively develop on the enamel of your teeth due to what you eat and drink. Foods and beverages such as coffee, wine, red sauce, colas, and more, as well as smoking or chewing tobacco, can stain your teeth over time. So, if you are interested in whitening your teeth, we will be happy to oblige!

Intrinsic Tooth Staining

If you’re interested in brightening your teeth, your dentist will evaluate your tooth stains to determine if they are extrinsic or intrinsic. Intrinsic staining is the discoloration of the dentin which makes up your tooth. The dentin is coated with a semi-translucent enamel layer. In some cases, the whitening ingredients will not penetrate the enamel effectively enough to whiten the dentin. Reasons for intrinsic discoloration include:

  • The use of tetracycline as a child
  • Your mothers use of tetracycline while you were in-utero
  • Excessive fluoride exposure as a child
  • A traumatic injury that caused internal bleeding of the tooth, or darkening of the tooth structure
  • Dentinogenesis imperfecta and other congenital conditions
  • Tooth infection

Because teeth whitening isn’t always effective on intrinsic staining, dental bonding or porcelain veneers may be a better choice.

Philips Zoom Whitespeed

The Philips Zoom Whitespeed teeth whitening system includes a one-hour office treatment as well as a take-home kit consisting of custom-made whitening trays and whitening gel, for touchups as needed.