Quick Facts About Teeth Whitening

It’s important to keep brushing and flossing regularly to keep your teeth white and bright at all times. However, if your teeth have changed their natural shade to a yellowish color, regular brushing and flossing alone won’t help restore the whiteness.

You will require a smile makeover treatment from Brier Creek Family Dentistry to improve the impression of your smile.

Many people avoid the tooth whitening procedure with fear that it is painful and not safe but take it from us; it’s a completely safe procedure. This is especially when performed by Dr. Anil Matthew, our highly practiced specialist.

What’s even more interesting about tooth whitening is that you can even do it from the comfort of your home. This is achieved through the use of whitening creams, toothpaste, and whitening gels. These can be bought from your local drug store or issued professionally by a dentist.

We advise getting a home whitening cream from a dentist to avoid using dangerous chemicals that can adversely affect your dental health.

What Causes Tooth Discoloration?

Your teeth can permanently change color for any of the following reasons:

• Food and Drink – The major culprits here include coffee, tea, and red wine. The common ingredient in the three is intense color pigments referred to as chromogens. They are known to attach to the tooth enamel and don’t come out easy unless treated with chemicals.
• Tobacco use – Tar and nicotine are the two chemicals found in tobacco that cause stubborn stains on teeth that won’t come out. Naturally, tar is dark-colored. Nicotine stands colorless until mixed with oxygen, where it turns yellowish, therefore staining the tooth surface.
• Age – Beneath the enamel is a softer part called the dentine. As you grow older, the enamel automatically thins, and with continuous brushing, the yellowish dentine starts to show.
• Trauma – Being hit in the mouth can cause a color change on your teeth. This is because teeth respond to trauma by exposing more dentine, which lies under the enamel and has a darker shade.
• Medications – The cosmetic dentist in Raleigh, NC, points out that tooth can darken as a side effect of some antihistamines, antipsychotics, and high blood pressure medications.

Suppose your child is exposed to antibiotics such as tetracycline and doxycycline during teeth formation, either as a baby or in the womb. In that case, they are likely to suffer discolored teeth at an older age. Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation of the head and neck can cause teeth discoloration.

How Does the Procedure Work?

It’s a rather simple process. It involves the use of hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide bleaching agents. These bleaches work by breaking the stains into smaller pieces, which deconcentrates the color making your teeth appear brighter.

Tooth bleaching done by a dentist near you give a faster result than when you do it at home. This is because the bleach is used, but a dentist is usually stronger than home-use kits. The dentist also uses heat or special light to speed up the whitening process and deliver results faster.

During an in-office whitening process, teeth get whiter within 30 – 60 minutes after the procedure. Generally, a smile makeover procedure gives your teeth between three to eight shades brighter than normal teeth.

At-Home Kits

When you opt to do it from home, you will use:

• Whitening strips and gels – They are directly applied to the teeth using a brush or thin strip. These are usually peroxide-based products that you should apply once or twice a day for about 14 days. Results can be seen after several months.
• Tooth whitening trays – These whitening methods use a mouthguard shaped tray filled with peroxide gel or paste and then placed on the teeth for several hours a day for about four weeks. Whitening trays can be bought over the counter or have the dentist near you fix them.
• Tooth whitening toothpaste – Whitening toothpaste, just like regular toothpaste, have chemicals and agents that polish your teeth, making them look brighter. They do this without additional bleaching agents. Some whitening toothpaste comes with peroxide elements.

Talk to Your Dentist

Teeth whitening also improves your oral health because you will undergo a professional tooth cleaning before the procedure. However, it can also temporarily cause sensitive teeth. How whitening agents are also known to burn the gums when used inappropriately.

Note that whitening is best for people with yellowish teeth and less effective for brown teeth. Teeth that are gray or purple won’t be affected at all by tooth whitening.

Talk with your dentist to determine if tooth whitening is worth the time and money.