Whitening helps mild yellow teeth, while veneers cover deeper stains for a brighter smile.
You usually just glance at the mirror and realize that your teeth are yellowed. Coffee, tea, and even time are the main factors in the discoloration of your teeth. Naturally, you would like to have a shiny smile again. The problem is deciding which cosmetic dentistry treatment will suit you best. Whether a single whitening session will do, or you need the most personalized porcelain veneers, remains the question.
It is quite common in clinics that a patient comes asking for one treatment but turns out to be actually suitable for another one. Your enamel condition and overall oral health mostly determine your treatment decision.
Let’s break the two options down. This will allow you to choose your smile makeover wisely in Turkey.
Origin of The Surface Discoloration
Initially, we should determine what makes your teeth look old and yellow. Generally, tooth discoloration can be divided into extrinsic and intrinsic cases.
Extrinsic is really surface-level stains. You may consider the enamel of your tooth as a white shirt. The coffee and wine will leave those dark stains on the fabric. Generally, a professional teeth whitening session can be compared to a high-quality, safe detergent. It’s able to pull out the pigment trapped inside the enamel pores.
In contrast, intrinsic staining is located deep in the tooth structure. The enamel of your teeth naturally wears out. This uncovers the yellow dentin, which is the inner part of the tooth. The discoloration can be a result of medication taken in the past or due to childhood trauma. Such stains are beyond the reach of whitening products since the actual substance of the tooth has changed color.
Getting Your Teeth Professionally Whitened: An Instant Makeover
Laser teeth whitening is very effective in most cases. It is even more effective on teeth that are not only straight but also have a thick and healthy layer of enamel.
Professor Doctor Coşkun Yıldız points out that the whitening strips you can get at the store are very weak. However, clinical teeth whitening results in quick and bright effects. We first safeguard the gums. Afterward, a potent hydrogen peroxide gel is applied to your teeth. In the end, we expose them to a beam of a special laser. The laser light quickly breaks down the stains. Within just one session, your smile is noticeably whiter.
On the other hand, one should consider the fact that whitening is not everlasting. If you keep on drinking dark coffee, you will inevitably get surface discoloration. Every year, you will have to get your whitening done again. Moreover, teeth whitening is not capable of correcting chipped teeth or large gaps, nor is it effective on deeply stained areas.
Veneers in Porcelain: A Total Smile Makeover
The answer to a whitening treatment that simply won’t cut it is porcelain veneers. A veneer is a very thin shell made of the most exquisite dental porcelain. This shell is then bonded directly to the front surface of your natural tooth. If teeth whitening is akin to washing an old wall, veneers are building a brand new, perfect wall from scratch
From what we have seen at Lema Dental Clinic, veneers allow you complete control. You pick the final shade, form, and size of your teeth.
Dentist Polen Akkılıç and the rest of her team with her painstakingly plan each veneer. Most of all, we not only intend to make the shape blend with the human face, but also want the porcelain to resemble healthy, natural tooth enamel. It is not flat or artificial-looking at all. What is more, dental porcelain blocks stains. So, even if you drink coffee, your white smile will remain white.
Comparison Chart
The dilemma remains: which dental procedure corresponds most closely to your situation?
| Dental Feature | Professional Teeth Whitening | Porcelain Veneers |
| Main Clinical Goal | Remove external staining of enamel. | Modification of tooth color, shape, and size. |
| Enamel Removal | Not applicable. Teeth remain unchanged. | Very slight. Only the outer surface of the enamel is smoothed. |
| How Long Does It Last | 6 to 12 months. | 10 to 15 years or longer. |
| Treatment Time | 1 to 2 hours in the clinic. | 5 to 7 days in Turkey. |
| Stain Block Power | Low. Teeth will yellow again over time. | High. Porcelain is very resistant to staining. |
| Best Used For | Minor staining on well-aligned, healthy teeth. | Dark yellow teeth, chips, short teeth, etc. |
Start Planning Your Dental Trip to Turkey
When it comes to dentistry, besides your hometown, Turkey is probably a good candidate. Especially if you want a smile makeover at an affordable price, Lema Dental Clinic has several sophisticated dental pieces of equipment. It is the Istanbul-based world-class center for cosmetic dentistry. We will always be here to give you a feeling of safety, information, and the smile that you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The only thing that you might experience is a slight sensitivity of the teeth for only one day. That is normal. We also give you a special gel for the time of tooth sensitivity. So, your tooth enamel is safe and strong.
No. We only lightly polish the front surface of the enamel of your tooth. We preserve your natural, healthy tooth structure. The internet is sometimes quite misleading as it mixes up old dental crowns with modern veneers.
Whitening treatment is naturally not permanent, and so one year is the expected time of a white smile after it. But good quality porcelain veneers can serve you for years,s like 15 or even more. To keep them looking pristine, simply floss and brush them as you do your real teeth.
No. Whitening agents can only affect real teeth. It will not work on the color of the old dental crown or composite filling. New crowns will be made if you want to have a whiter smile.
For us to bring about your perfect new smile in our dental lab, you need to be in Istanbul for 5 to 7 days. We design, create, and place your new smile during this time.
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