These are both treatments that are used to help improve the colour and appearance of the teeth, helping to achieve a brighter and whiter smile. Whilst both these treatments have the same aim, they take different approaches in order to fulfil different patient needs.
Restoration
Two popular options for restoration are tooth bonding and porcelain veneers.
Tooth bonding is a great choice for minor cosmetic fixes, and can usually be completed in just a single trip to the dentist. Bonding can be used to fix small chips, cracks, or discoloration on a patient’s teeth. Bonding can also provide a solution for very slightly misaligned teeth or teeth with minor gaps. This treatment is also generally more affordable than veneers.
Porcelain veneers, on the other hand, are useful in tackling more significant cosmetic problems. They work best for teeth with severe cracks, chips, or deep discoloration that whitening treatments are unable to address. Larger gaps and uneven tooth wear can also be addressed by using veneers. These thin porcelain shells are bonded to the front surface of your teeth, creating a uniform and bright smile. Veneers are highly durable and stain-resistant, offering a long-lasting solution.
Whitening
Whilst restoration is used to restore damaged parts of the tooth, whitening is exclusively meant for brightening and whitening the colour of the teeth. This is done by applying a certain whitening gel to the teeth, and then shining a UV light onto them. This creates a reaction that causes the colour of the teeth to appear whiter. This procedure is completely safe when performed by a professional.
This usually entails the taking of tooth impressions from the patient, which are then used to create trays that fit snugly onto the teeth. A bleaching gel is placed onto these trays, and patients are able to bring it home to perform the whitening there.
Patients also have the option to undergo laser whitening, which is a form of whitening that can only be performed by a dentist. In this procedure, a bleaching product is placed upon the teeth, which is activated using a laser to speed up the whitening process.
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