The White Tooth Journal

There is a general controversy going on regarding tooth whitening and also do it yourself teeth whitening products. Dental professionals and consumer organizations insist that these should be used only under supervision of a specialist. The cosmetic industry and its associates, on the other hand, profess that as these products are safe they should be freely available over the counter. Whitening teeth is actually another name given to tooth bleaching. Adult teeth are generally less white than a child’s deciduous teeth. The enamel becomes less porous as a person ages and due to changes in the mineral structure they tend to become even darker. Your teeth can also get stained by bacterial pigments, food that you eat and tobacco. Antibiotics like tetracycline are also known to stain teeth or reduce their brilliance. Teeth bleaching products include bleaching pens, bleaching strips and bleaching gels. Most of these use oxidizing agents like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide tolighten the shade of your teeth. Latest bleaching techniques include laser bleaching that is done by a dentist using light energy to speed up the process of bleaching. Whatever, the type of bleaching, its effect depends upon your lifestyle and the foods that you consume.

A dark tooth can also be made to appear as a white tooth by application of a veneer to mask tooth discoloration or with the aid of a tooth whitener. Tooth whitening may be done with high-concentration or low-concentration agents. High-concentration bleaching can be done at home or you may get it done by a dentist. High-concentration gel is available over the counter and also online. It involves application of high concentration agent to the teeth with thin plastic trays and gives quick results. The trays need to be well fitted so that they retain the gel and also to ensure that the gel is exposed to the full tooth. The trays typically remain for 15-20 minutes and the process is repeated a couple times.

Bleaching with low-concentration whiteners is less effective and takes longer. Generally done at home, it involves using a thin strip to hold a low-concentration oxidizing agent close to the teeth for several hours. Depending on the level of discoloration, you may have to repeat this for a number of days that may range from anything between 5 days to a couple of weeks. The type of results that you get from bleaching also depends upon the bleaching agent you use and the type of stains. Tetracycline stains, for example, may require prolonged bleaching to be really effective. White spots on teeth may be difficult to remove. The bleaching process may not also give the desired results if the gums are infected. Otherwise, a bleaching course provides very good results and greatly improves cosmetic appearance of your teeth. Tooth whitening is potentially better done by a dentist but do it yourself teeth whitening is a much cheaper and cost-effective option.