What's Teeth Whitening? Here's What You Should Know

Most people desire to have a picture-perfect smile that leaves a lasting first impression on everyone they meet. For this reason, people are seeking teeth whitening treatment from our dentist in Arvada. There is nothing wrong with having a brilliantly white smile like the ones we see celebrities flaunting every other day.

However, teeth whitening is like the icing on the cake. In other words, proper dental care is paramount for your oral health. A bright smile comes as a result of proper dental hygiene. At the same time, it is essential to note that other factors lead to tooth discoloration other than poor dental hygiene.

Let’s delve into some of those factors.

What Causes Teeth to Look Yellow?

You can brush your teeth religiously, but your teeth can still seem as though they are yellowing. This is because different factors lead to tooth discoloration, such as:

• Food and Drinks

When it comes to teeth staining, the general rule of thumb is this; if anything can stain your white t-shirt, it can discolor your teeth. So, any foods or drinks with chromogens or intense color pigments can easily stain your teeth. Coffee, tea, red wine, and curry are the major staining culprits.

• Tobacco

Tobacco has two teeth staining components, nicotine and tar. Tar is dark and can easily stain your teeth. However, nicotine is colorless but turns yellowish when it is exposed to oxygen.

• Medications

There are some antibiotics, mouth rinses, and antihistamines that are known to discolor teeth. Even specific high blood pressure medication can stain your teeth as one of the side effects.

• Age

Your teeth have a hard outer layer known as the enamel that protects the tooth’s inner part. As you age, your enamel becomes thinner due to the wear and can expose the inner part of your teeth (the yellowish dentin).

• Trauma

In case of an accident or an injury, and there is trauma to your teeth, it can cause tooth discoloration.

• Poor Oral Hygiene

Poor dental care can cause plaque to stick to your teeth. If plaque is not removed by brushing or flossing, it solidifies to form tartar (a black substance that stains the teeth).

Facts About Teeth Whitening

First things first, three types of stains exist:

• Extrinsic stains occur when your teeth come into contact with something that stains the teeth, like tobacco or food, which are much easier to remove with teeth whitening treatment.
• Intrinsic stains caused by something inside your teeth can be a bit harder to remove than extrinsic stains.
• Age-related stains come about due to the changes that happen to the enamel as you age.
  The whole purpose of teeth whitening is to remove the above stains and make your teeth whiter. Typically, there are two types of products that whiten the teeth: bleaching and non-bleaching products.

The difference between the two is that bleaching agents have products that can bleach teeth, whereas non-bleaching agents have whitening products that remove food debris without bleaching.

You can choose to get professional teeth whitening or decide to do it yourself with at-home whitening products.

When you decide to come in for professional whitening, you will encounter teeth whitening treatment that contains bleaching products. Ideally, teeth whitening agents have carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. These agents are excellent in removing extrinsic (surface) stains and intrinsic (deep) stains and can make your teeth whiter than their usual shade.

The peroxide in the whitening products works by releasing free radicals that reduce the stains’ concentration by breaking them down into smaller pieces.

Teeth Whitening Toothpaste

Contrary to popular belief, teeth whitening toothpaste that our dentist may recommend you use may remove surface stains. They can remove extrinsic stains such as the ones caused by food, drinks, and tobacco.

However, their effects are limited in removing stains that go deeper than the surface. For tooth whitening toothpaste to work, they have:

• Special abrasives that aid in removing food debris and polish the teeth
• Peroxide to help break down the stains

Other whitening kinds of toothpaste contain certain products such as blue covarine that create an optical illusion, causing your teeth to appear lighter.

In as much as tooth whitening toothpaste works, it takes longer, and at times the results might not meet your expectations. This is why our dentist in Arvada offers professional teeth whitening. If you have any questions, you can contact us at Station Dental in Arvada, and we would love to help you.