TOOTH AND TEETH WHITENING

Teeth Whitening - Why we whiten teeth and the common misperceptions about having white teeth.

Tooth and teeth whitening has become popular because of the perception that teeth should be a dazzling white in color.  Large amounts of money are spent by people using teeth whiteneing products, going to dentists for teeth whitening treatments, to achieve that dazzling, sparkling, white look.

  People see celebrities on TV with sparkling white teeth, not realizing that their idol has also fallen into the trap of whitening their teeth, because whitening teeth gives them the idea that they will be seen more favorably by their fans.  Celebrities will also obtain crowns and veneers and select an unatural shade of white for their crowns or veneers during the preparation stage, to get that dazzling white appearance of their teeth.

In photos of celebrities, it is common practice to have the teeth whitened digitally, to give the impression that the celebrity has perfect white teeth, which also adds to the public misconception that teeth should look white.

However, the fact is, adult teeth are not normally white in color, that whitening teeth achieves an unnatural result of white coloration of teeth.  The older the adult, the more yellow and darker the teeth become. 

This aging process in tooth coloring, means that even though you may succeed in whitening your teeth with whitening gels and so on, that you will have go through the teeth whitening process at regular intervals to maintain the whiter appearance of your teeth. 

If you chose crowns and veneers, to whiten your teeth, then the effect can be much more permanent and much more whiter, but you must exercise stringent oral hygiene thereafter.  You have to exercise caution or avoid hard foods and sticky foods - no chewing on ice, no eating toffees...

Anyway, people pursue the whitening of their teeth, often whiten their teeth because they believe teeth whitening will give them a glorious smile that people will take notice of and remember.  Having sparkling white teeth also has the connotation of being a clean and healthy individual.

I have to admit though, the white teeth you see on the movie stars and sports stars, is simply glorious. You look at their teeth and you think wow. Anyway, I've come across this cheap trial offer for teeth whitening, called IvoryWhite. The same stuff the stars use through their dentists. For less than $5 in postage and handling, you can try and see if it will give you the same star like looks.

In case you are wondering, teeth whitening is normally the same as teeth bleeching / bleaching - the words are often used interchangeably, though in reality they are not interchangeable all the time.

Adverse Side Effects of Tooth and Teeth Bleaching and Whitening

Tooth and teeth whitening to achieve the celebrity look, may be impossible or highly dangerous to try and achieve using chemicals, as people with intense white teeth are most likely the people using crowns and veneers that have been colored so, rather than any actual change in the real tooth or teeth. 

One of the teeth bleaching side effects: One big adverse side effect of teeth whiteners can occur when you repeat the teeth whitening treatments and procedures quite often, as the tooth whitener / bleacher chemicals used can damage the translucency of teeth, the natural look of the teeth, when used often or in high dosages.

Other adverse whitener / bleaching side effects include damage and or irritation to the gum, as well as increased sensitivity of the whitened / bleached teeth to hot and cold - these other adverse bleaching side effects normally are short term only.  The exception being permanent damage that can result to the gum from the strong bleaching chemicals dentists use, coming into contact with the gum and not being neutralized quickly enough by the dentist - that's one nasty bleaching side effect.

  These are the teeth whitening side effects that can happen, but generally speaking, bleaching is considered a safe teeth whitening system / process, as long as the bleaching agents are applied and used correctly and sensibly.

Some people believe that dentists should supervise teeth whitening treatments, so as to keep expectations about teeth whitening realistic for the person trying to achieve whiter teeth, thereby protecting the teeth from excessive, overzealous and dangerous teeth whitening attempts.

Causes of Tooth Discoloration - Sometimes Teeth Whitening is a Recommended Treatment for when the Coloration of Teeth has Gone Wrong.

There are quite a few causes of tooth discoloration that need to be understood, in order to select the most appropriate teeth whitening treatment.  The main causes of tooth discoloration are:

1... Surface stains on the tooth enamel.

Tars from smoking. Tannins from tea and coffee. Coloring from soft drinks, sauces and even the expensive mouth rinses.  All can create surface stains on the teeth - the more you use, the greater the risk of staining your teeth.

SURFACE STAIN TREATMENT FOR TEETH

Treatment for surface stains on teeth is reasonably easy. The surface stains can be removed by cleaning and polishing teeth by a dentist.

You can use whitening toothpastes, which allow the easy to clean areas of the teeth to have much of the stain removed.  Such toothpastes also normally contain abrasives, which may not be suitable for people with sensitive teeth or who have little enamel left on their teeth.  (In such cases the peroxide based toothpastes may be more suited - are discussed further, below).

There are also paint-on tooth whitening treatments, that work by chemicals dissolving the surface stains.

These products, particularly the cleaning and polishing by the dentist, may result in your teeth looking whiter, because cleaning and polishing may cause your teeth to reflect more light.  The tooth coloration though, is not really whiter, it just appears to be.  My wife has noticed this a lot with her teeth.  Every time she has her teeth cleaned at the dentist, they look like they have been whitened.

SURFACE STAIN PREVENTION

Surface stains are a lifestyle problem and can therefore be largely prevented or avoided by avoiding the the things that are causing your teeth to stain.  It's that easy to prevent surface staining.  Having said that, my wife has been told to use a special mouth rinse by a dentist, the mouth rinse has a green coloring and that coloring perpetually stains her teeth and Carolyn has to go back to get them cleaned - makes you wonder, don't it?

2... Stains underneath the tooth enamel.

There are many sources of such staining of teeth.  Severe sickness in childhood, some antibiotics when taken in childhood,  genetic predisposition, blood or liver abnormalities, can all cause staining of teeth.

Interestingly, excessive intake of fluoride as child - eg from swallowing toothpaste instead of spitting - can cause areas of tooth to become excessively white.  Several of my children have this problem; now I know why!

Yellowing of teeth is a natural discoloration caused by age.

Fillings that leak - corrode the tooth - give rise to grey staining.

Tooth decay can give rise to black dots or brown appearance.

Nerve damage in the tooth may cause the tooth to go black.

TREATMENT FOR STAINS UNDERNEATH THE TOOTH ENAMEL

Treatments for stains underneath the tooth enamel normally use peroxides ( hydrogen, carbamide, or sodium percarbonate peroxide) and chlorites. Both teeth whitening agents release oxygen which can penetrate the tooth and effectively bleach it - tooth whitening is the result of such bleaching. When looking at teeth whitening products, you normally want to buy ones that release about 3.5% free oxygen when activated - many teeth whiteners are water activated in the course of teeth cleaning.

Your Teeth Whitening Options for Stains Under the Tooth Enamel

Teeth Whitening Reviews of the Common Teeth Whitening Kits, Systems and Treatments:

Home based tooth whitening treatments

Tooth whitening toothpastes that rely on abrassion are useless for removing stains from underneath the enamel.

The following four home based teeth whitening treatments work by bleaching:

1.. Peroxide based tooth whitening toothpastes, which include activators to release the oxygen.  This teeth whitening treatment method tends to be effective, if used twice a day for two minutes each time, at getting rid of surface stains and reducing stains under the tooth enamel.  This teeth whitening treatment works by bleaching and is effective at whitening teeth.

2.. Tooth whitening paint on products used in home treatments, which are painted on then removed according to directions.  Used for about 14 days, once a day, for about 30 minutes or according to directions.  This teeth whitening treatment works by bleaching and is effective at whitening teeth.

3.. Tooth whitening products which require an adhesive strip to be applied to each tooth, covering the tooth as completely as possible, which are noramlly left on overnight.  Tooth whitening adhesive strips are applied twice daily, 30 minutes each time, for about 14 days.   This teeth whitening treatment works by bleaching and is effective at whitening teeth.

4.. Tooth whitening products that use a 'tray' to hold the tooth whitening gel against the teeth, typically overnight.  Such teeth whitening treatments may be required every night for ten nights and may need to be repeated on a yearly basis.  This teeth whitening treatment works by bleaching and is effective at whitening teeth.  The teeth whitening tray can last for several years, so it is advisable NOT to discard it after use.

SPECIAL NOTE:  The above four teeth whitening treatments will help whiten your teeth, but the overall effect is subtle - if you were to do some teeth and not others, the teeth whitening would be noticable on the teeth treated.

Dentist can do several additional teeth whitening treatments to the above: 

1.. A special teeth whitening gel which is applied to the teeth and activated by lazer or similiar - often called power bleaching.  One dental session of teeth whitening is equivalent to several weeks of the home based methods, as dentists are using chemicals that are releasing up to 35% oxygen - under very controlled conditions for your safety.  Vitamin E can be applied to gums that have been touched by the gel to prevent permanent damage to them.  Several such teeth whitening treatments can be undertaken to gain even better teeth whitening, a good dentist should be able to tell when it's time to stop and that you have achieved the best result for your teeth.

2.. During root canal work, teeth whitening materials can be sealed within the tooth, effectively bleaching the tooth from the inside out - often called walking bleach.

3.. Replace metal based fillings white amalgams can be a teeth whitening strategy, especially if the fillings are old anyway.

4.. Whitening teeth can be achieved through the use of veneers and or crowns, which essentially hides the tooth under a whiter colored covering. Crowns are covered on another page as they are mainly used for compromised teeth that are at high risk, but veneers are mainly used for cosmetic appearance, mainly teeth whitening, so is included below:

Tooth and Teeth Veneers for Whitening Teeth.

Veneers are good for whitening teeth or an individual tooth.  They cover the front facing part of the tooth or teeth above the gum line, whereas a crown covers all of the tooth above the gum line.

There are two types of veneers that may be used for teeth whitening:

  1... Porcelain veneers are sometimes chosen as a means to whiten teeth. You work out the white shade that you want, the front facing surface of the tooth or teeth is removed by about a finger nails thickness deep.  A mold is taken.  The porcelain veneer or veneers for each tooth is then made.  When you return to the dentist, the veneer is then glued on and shaped for each tooth.  This veneer is comparable in strength to natural teeth when glued on correctly, but only costs a little less than crowns.  Cannot be repaired if damaged, only replaced.

Direct Laminate Veneers are also sometimes chosen as a way to whiten teeth, but they are done differently.  You choose the color you want, the dentist etches (scratches ) your teeth, applies a glue, then applies one or more layers of a special putty, which he molds over the front of the teeth.  It is hardened with a special light, then shaped better and polished.  Can be repaired if damaged, but they are easier to damage than their porcelain counterparts, but are cheaper normally as well.

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