Teeth Whitening

Patients like to ask me about teeth whitening. Yes, I also like to look at myself in the mirror when my teeth are clean and shiny. :D That makes my day. So, let's talk about how to get teeth whiter. :D

To begin with, teeth stains could be extrinsic or intrinsic; which means, the stains stay on the outer surface or inside the teeth. The causes could be many, such as dark-colored foods or beverages, smoking and other tobacco use, poor oral hygiene, dental trauma, aging, medication, diseases, etc.

If the stains stay on the outer surface of the teeth, abrasion is a good solution. You can use teeth whitening toothpaste for your daily maintenance. The toothpaste has abrasive particles inside and helps remove the stains when brushing. Or you can get a professional cleaning in the dental office. A rubber cup and polishing paste would be used to polish your teeth. Imagine the shine after polishing. :D For some severe cases with heavy stains accumulated for a long time, especially from smoking, sandblasting would be a more efficient way to remove the stains. So far, I am talking about removing the discoloration from the outer layer of teeth making teeth back to the original color. Let's talk about making teeth whiter from the inside-- bleaching.

Bleaching is what people are thinking of teeth whitening. Bleaching gel with oxidants can remove the discolored particles inside the teeth, so the whole tooth structure gets whitening. There are two common ways of bleaching.

1) Home bleaching: you can get it over the counter or from the dental office. Both of them provide you with a tray and bleaching gel. The difference is that the over-the-counter bleaching kits provide the tray that you need to mold on your teeth by yourself; the dental office can make a model of your teeth to make a customized tray that will be the exact shape of your teeth. The customized tray can hold the bleaching gel better.

2) In-office bleaching: bleaching under professionals is safe and more efficient. Higher concentrate or more powerful bleaching gel can only be used in the professional setting to avoid side effects. Dentists would place gum protection material, apply the bleaching gel carefully, and enhance the bleaching effect and speed with lighting equipment. 

What do you need to know about bleaching?

1) Get a dental checkup first. Do not jump into bleaching before knowing whether your teeth are healthy or not. Get the cavities fixed before starting because the bleaching gel would make decayed teeth more sensitive or even cause pain.

2) Bleaching does not make fillings or crowns whiter. In those cases, you may need different procedures.

3) Teeth may get sensitive while bleaching. Talk to the doctor or stop using those products if you experience any sensitivity. Don't worry too much! Sensitivity is reversible and it usually recovers in a few days. But it is always a good idea to get a consultation before starting any whitening process. :D

4) The teeth whitening effect is not permanent. Teeth get discolored with time and food/beverage consumption. Thus, repeated whitening may be needed.

Alright, I hope this article helps answer questions about teeth whitening. I will talk about cosmetics more next time. See you! :D Big smile.