It's always attractive and confidence-building to have great looking teeth that glow with good health. But there are three moments in life when there's extra encouragement to put your best grin forward:

You're attending a reunion

High school, family and college reunions are joyful occasions to remember the past and catch up with those you hold dear. Having a dental cleaning and whitening procedure done gives you self-assurance when you open your mouth to speak to long-lost family members and old classmates and lets you look your best for the inevitable photographs and social media posts. The whitening process is easy and safe and can often be done in one session a few days or weeks before your reunion.

Some folks intently take notice of the aging of others when they attend reunions. The truth is, as we age, the enamel in our teeth wears down and is more prone to yellowing. An in-office treatment will restore a more youthful look to your teeth. First your dentist will apply a protective barrier to your gums and mouth, then he applies a "bleaching" gel to your teeth — perhaps in trays that stay on your teeth — and then your mouth may be exposed to a light to help speed the work of the whitening gel.

You're quitting a bad oral habit

Whether you've decided to give up smoking, sugar, or red wine, having your teeth cleaned and whitened before you start your quitting program is good incentive to stay on track. That's because many in-office whitening treatments require you to avoid any dark foods and liquids for a short period of time after your procedure.

The reason behind the dark food ban is that your teeth may be slightly dehydrated from the whitening session. They may be more likely to pull in dark liquids including coffee and tea stains while they are getting back to normal hydration levels. You'll be doing yourself a double favor by abstaining from your bad habit after your whitening is complete: you'll be healthier, and your mouth will look better for a longer period of time between treatments.

You're getting implants

If you're having a few implants or a new bridge installed in your bite, you may want the dentist to choose implants that are whiter than your actual teeth. That's going to look weird in some cases depending on where the new teeth will be placed. If you really want much brighter teeth, talk to your dentist about doing pre-implant whitening. Your dentist can help you choose the most natural color implants after you both see the results of professional whitening on your own teeth.

You might think the $300 to $1,200 price tag for whitening by your dentist is steep when you can use an over-the-counter product yourself, but the results you get at home are not going to be as thorough or bright as what your dental professional can do. You may miss places in between teeth, and you may have to settle for darker implants than you wanted if you expect your teeth to match.

The best part about using a licensed and trained dentist for your cleaning is that they do everything they can to protect you, and they use products that have been tested and proven safe. You'll enjoy all of the moments life has to offer when you have healthy teeth and gums and a beaming smile to show the world.

For more information, contact Accent On Dentistry - Rowena R Martir DMD or a similar location.