Every person wants a perfect set of white teeth that can be flaunted while smiling with a sense of confidence. However, your teeth may get discoloured with time due to various reasons which can affect your overall smile.
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure that is used to make the surface of the teeth appear whiter. It can be a very effective way of lightening the existing color, without causing any damage to the tooth’s surface.
What causes discoloured teeth?
The outside of your teeth can be stained when you:
- drink tea, coffee or red wine
- eat food such as spices, berries or beetroot
- smoke cigarettes
The white enamel layer on the outside of your teeth can also wear away as you get older. This exposes the dentine layer underneath. This is a yellowish colour and causes your tooth to look yellower.
Teeth can also be discoloured if:
- they are damaged or injured
- you took certain medicines, such as the antibiotics tetracycline or doxycycline, as a young child when your teeth were being formed.
The process of teeth bleaching can be categorised into 2 types: home teeth bleaching and clinic teeth bleaching.
Clinic Teeth Bleaching:
Also known as in-office teeth bleaching, this method is carried out by a trained dentist from a dental clinic. The dentist will use a much more powerful bleaching agent along with light or heat to treat the stains on your teeth. In this method, the dentist can use effective teeth whitening methods such as Zoom Bleaching or Power Bleaching to carry out the treatment.
Home Teeth Bleaching:
In this method, various over-the-counter products are available in the market to carry out your teeth whitening. You can use home teeth bleaching products from the comfort of your home to whiten your teeth.
- Teeth Whitening Tray: You can bleach your teeth at home by getting a custom tray from your dentist or buying it as an over-the-counter product. You will get a peroxide-based bleaching agent to put on the tray and then fit into your teeth for the bleaching.
- Teeth Whitening Strips: These bleaching strips consist of a whitening gel that you can directly apply to your teeth. The instructions to apply the whitening strips will be mentioned on the product.
- Whitening Toothpaste: A whitening toothpaste is useful to counter stains on your teeth that are developed from products such as tea, coffee, or alcohol. Use the whitening toothpaste twice a day to see visible removal results on your teeth.
Pros and cons
There are possible pros and cons of bleaching your teeth that will help to decide whether you should undergo this treatment for yourself.
Pros
- You get brighter teeth with higher shades of white at the end of your treatment.
- The dental bleaching method is practically painless, and it can be carried out without any resistance.
- The teeth bleaching price is easily affordable whether you choose at-office treatment or over-the-counter products.
Cons
- This process may put you at risk of teeth sensitivity if the procedure is not carried out properly.
- This method is only ideal for people with well-maintained teeth and gum conditions.
- You can experience gum irritation or burning if the gums are not properly isolated during the treatment.
Dr Rochelle Sequeira