Smile Bright after you Whiten Teeth!

Teeth Whitening has become a very common occurrence in today’s world. Many people feel that having whiter teeth gives them a younger, more attractive appearance. While that may be true, there’s a difference between whiten teeth and teeth bleaching.

Whitening your teeth does not change the color of your teeth. It simply uses mild abrasives and chemicals to remove debris and staining.  Bleaching on the other hand uses bleach to whiten teeth past their normal color.

When we are born, our teeth start out white thanks to the enamel surfacing. This enamel protects our teeth from daily use. However, over the years the enamel is worn down. Underneath this enamel cover is a yellow material called dentin. With the enamel wearing down, the yellow dentin becomes more visible. When we chew our dentin doesn’t change, however our enamel develops tiny cracks. These cracks eventually fill up with debris and stains, making your teeth appear even duller and less shiny. Whiten teeth removes those stains and debris, allowing the cracks to either refill with saliva repairing the enamel, or with more debris.

Bleaching your teeth involves the use of a bleaching aid, such as hydrogen peroxide. You can bleach your teeth by going to your dentist, using a prescribed teeth whitening kit, or buying an over the counter bleaching kit. Teeth bleaching will get stubborn deep set stains caused by dark colored drinks and food that have penetrated into the dentin core of your teeth and whiten teeth.

Teeth whitening agents are generally pretty safe when used as directed to whiten teeth. Teeth bleaching however can have negative risks. Going to your dentist for a bleaching could lead to temporary sensitivity to pressure and temperature changes from a day to a month. If you experience such sensitivity it may be recommended that you use sensitive toothpaste until the effect goes away. More than half of those that use bleaching experience gum irritation. This is another temporary effect that can be relieved by discontinuing treatments or by lowering the amount of the bleaching agent used.

One risk is referred to as “Technicolor teeth”. Many restorations will not respond to bleaching agents, such as veneers and crowns. They will maintain their normal color leading to a significant different between your new color and the color of the restoration. You will likely need to replace such restorations about two weeks after your teeth have been bleached, when whitening effects are fully seen. Pregnant or nursing women are advised not to whiten teeth as there’s no way of knowing the effect on the fetus or baby.

There is no way to tell you how white your teeth will get. Sometimes you can only whiten teeth by two shades, sometimes by as many as seven depending on the method used and your own teeth. Without these kinds of assurances you should not get your expectations up too high. Your dentist may be able to give you an idea of how much improvement you can get, but he can not guarantee you those results.