The Brief, Easy-To-Understand Guide to Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is the about the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures out there. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s simple to do. Most dentists offer it (or you could give it a try yourself). Plus it’s one of the most cost effective ways to improve your smile.

Below we’re going to take a closer look at teeth whitening so you can better understand your options and how it can help you achieve the bright smile you’re after.

Why Teeth Get Discolored

Our teeth will usually darken and appear yellow or stained as we get older. This happens for a number of reasons. Some of the most common reasons this happens include:

Age: Simply aging can make your teeth darker. As we age, the outer enamel layer of our teeth gets thinner. This lets more of the yellowish dentin layer underneath show through.

Food: Some food can lead to tooth discoloration as well. Dark veggies such as beets or carrots, fruits with a lot of pigment like berries, colorful spices like curry or turmeric as well as brightly colored candies are the most common.

Drinking dark beverages: Coffee, tea and red wine are common beverages that cause teeth to discolor.

Tobacco: The tar and nicotine in cigarettes pack a nasty one-two punch. First there’s the tar that causes stains. Then there’s the nicotine. These causes staining because when it mixes with oxygen, nicotine turns into a yellowish substance that stains your teeth.

Intrinsic Teeth Stains

Intrinsic teeth are those that occur when the discoloration happens deep in your teeth’s structure. Common causes of intrinsic teeth staining include:

Trauma: Mouth trauma can lead to a darker color. This happens because the mouth reacts to an injury by producing more dentin (the darker layer under the enamel).

Fluoride: Fluoride is great for fighting cavities. However, like many things in life, it’s better in moderation. Kids who get too much of it have higher risk of tooth discoloration.

Medication: Young kids that get too much antibiotics when their teeth are developing can get discoloration of their adult teeth later in life. Tooth discoloration can also be a side effect of some high blood pressure drugs, antihistamines and anti-psychotic medications.

Teeth Whitening Options

While there are a number of specific teeth whitening options, they all fall into 2 main categories. In-Office Teeth Whitening and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) or Home Teeth Whitening. Let’s look at both…

In-Office Teeth Whitening

Most dentists offer some sort of in-office teeth whitening procedure. Professional in-office teeth whitening involves applying a strong bleaching agent to the teeth. The bleach is a lot more powerful than the over the counter options. Dentists can offer it because, as an experienced professional, they can protect the rest of your mouth (gums, enamel, etc.) from the bleaching material. They can also take care of any unexpected issues that may come due to the use of the bleaching agent.

In-office teeth whitening usually is done is one trip to the dentist’s office and take between 1-3 hours. The treatment can last for a year or more. It just depends on how well you take care of your teeth.

DIY or Home Teeth Whitening

There’s no shortage of teeth whitening options you can apply at home. These include toothpastes, whitening strips, whitening gum, paint on gels and mouth trays with gel.

The bleaching agents used in home teeth whitening products are much weaker than those used at a dentist’s office. Due to the weaker agent, it may take longer to get the results you’re looking for.

Teeth Whitening Costs