What Is Tooth Whitening?
Tooth whitening involves bleaching the teeth to remove stains from the enamel and dentin, resulting in a lighter appearance. A popular method uses carbamide peroxide applied via a custom-fitted mouthguard.
What Is Tooth Discoloration?
Tooth discoloration is multifaceted, stemming from numerous causes, and it’s essential to differentiate between surface and embedded stains.
• external stains: tobacco, tea, coffee and juices like grape and apple, coffee, tea and tobacco
• internal stains: excessive fluoride (during teeth formation), aging, trauma, nerve degeneration, tetracycline (while teeth are forming)
For comprehensive stain removal, targeting both internal and external discoloration, professional whitening procedures like custom tray bleaching are necessary. Over-the-counter options, such as whitening toothpastes, are limited to removing external stains.
Who Can Undergo Tooth Whitening?
Tooth whitening can be a suitable option for most people, but individual results may vary. Patients with tetracycline staining might have difficulty achieving optimal whiteness.
Furthermore, dental restorations like veneers, crowns, and fillings will not whiten, potentially leading to an uneven appearance.
Can A Pregnant or Nursing Woman Bleach Her Teeth?
If you’re pregnant or nursing, it’s best to avoid teeth whitening. Dentists agree that there haven’t been enough studies to know if the bleaching products are safe for you and your baby.
Why Are There Teeth That Do Not Whiten Evenly With The Rest?
You might notice that the sides and edges of your teeth are getting whiter faster than the rest. That’s because those areas have thicker enamel, which reacts to the whitening gel more quickly.
Just keep going with the whitening, and eventually, the color will even out.
Is Tooth Whitening Safe?
Dentists highly recommend custom-fit tray bleaching with carbamide peroxide as a safe tooth whitening option. When performed under professional supervision, it poses no threat to teeth or gums, does not harm enamel, and does not weaken teeth.
Transient tooth sensitivity is the only potential side effect, which quickly disappears after stopping the procedure.
If you have any more questions that concern you but are not discussed in this article, consult your dentist. The more you know about tooth whitening, the more confident you will be of any procedure you will choose.