White Teeth – How to Whiten Your Teeth and Look Great
AHA! Don’t you brush your teeth? A phrase very often heard by people or asked to ones who are mostly found to have yellow stained teeth. Which can be really embarrassing if you are caught with one of those phrases? Dental bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is a common procedure in general dentistry but most especially in the field of cosmetic dentistry. As a person ages the adult teeth often become darker due to changes in the mineral structure of the tooth, as the enamel becomes less porous.
Usually teeth become stained by foods, drinking and smoking etc. A typical course of bleaching can produce dramatic improvements in the cosmetic appearance of most stained teeth; however, some stains do not respond to bleaching. Bleaching is not recommended if teeth have decay or infected gums. It is also least effective when the original tooth color is grayish and may require custom bleaching trays. Bleaching is most effective with yellow discolored teeth. Bleaching solutions contain peroxide, which bleaches the tooth enamel to change its color.
Tooth whitening is different to bleaching treatment. Whitening can restore color of fillings, porcelain, and other ceramics when they become stained by foods, drinks, and smoking, among other activities. Whitener does not work where bonding has been used and neither is it effective on tooth-color filling. Other options to deal with such cases are the porcelain veneers or dental bonding.
Various chemical and physical agents can be used to whiten teeth. Toothpaste typically has small particles of silica, aluminum oxide, calcium carbonate, or calcium phosphate to grind off stains formed by colored molecules that have adsorbed onto the teeth from food. Unlike bleaches, whitening toothpaste does not alter the intrinsic color of teeth.
Although there is a wide range of whitening products and techniques available, the results after using them may vary from very positive results to almost non-existent results.
The ADA (American Dental Association) has published a list of accepted over-the-counter whitening products to help people choose appropriate whitening products. However, it is recommended to have one’s teeth checked by a dentist before undergoing any whitening method. The dentist should examine some of the basics for history of patient including allergies and sensitivities, observe hard and soft tissues, placement and conditions of restorations, and sometimes x-rays to determine the nature and depth of possible irregularities. Most of the patients have very sensitive teeth that need to be consulted from the dentist first before any treatment.