Ed. Note: The following paid content was provided by Smudde Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry, who is a client of KHTS AM-1220.

End of the year is here. For many people, that means adding two key things to their must-do list: 1) Taking advantage of health insurance benefits before they expire; and 2) Looking their best for holiday photos.

“December is one of the busiest months for our team,” says Dr. Kelly Smudde, of Smudde Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry, whose practice was recently voted 2014 Best Dentist in Santa Clarita Valley.  “Insurances are expiring, and a lot of people think about whitening their teeth and all the cosmetic procedures that they want to do.”

Want to brighten your pearly whites for your Santa Clarita Valley holidays but aren’t really sure which procedure to choose?  Dr. Kelly says you have two main options: Doing it at home or having a professional do it for you.

“At-home tray whitening is a pretty simple thing that a lot of people end up doing,” says Dr. Kelly. “We take impressions at the office, and they can do the trays at home on their own. Every other night, until they’re happy with their smile, they’re in control, and they can whiten their teeth as much or as little as they want.”

Dentists in Santa Clarita

If you have a tendency to forget, or just want to speed up the process, you can choose to have it done at your local Santa Clarita dental office instead: “We can do In-Office or Zoom Whitening in just over an hour,” says Dr. Kelly. “In-office options are usually quicker than anything you can find in other places, and they work pretty well.”

But what if you have crowns or veneers?  “We can’t whiten something when restorations have already been done,” says Dr. Kelly. “But what people do is they whiten all around them.” Usually, what happens is that people get crowns or veneers made, and over time, their natural teeth darken, while their crowns and veneers stay the same color. If you whiten your natural teeth, you could match the tooth color that was done years ago, so the difference will be less noticeable.

Another option, says Dr. Kelly, is to whiten your teeth first before doing any restorative work. “Once you’re happy with your teeth color, then you can get your veneers done, so that it will be a really good cosmetic outcome. That’s a really good order to do it in.”

Whatever you decide, now is a really good time to think about getting your dental work done – so that you can maximize your health benefits and look your best for the holidays and the new year. To book a visit with Dr. Kelly’s award-winning team, go to YourValenciaDentist.com or call (661) 505-6445. Their offices are located in Santa Clarita, at 27450 Tourney Road, Suite 250, Valencia, CA 91355.

For more information about Smudde Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry, click here