Everyone wants a set of teeth that they can be comfortable flaunting with. And since the smile is one of the first things that people notice the first time they see you, you might want to have teeth that are as white as a pearl, leaving them a lasting impression. Dull and yellow ones tend to be seen as something unfavorable for some people, and may even affect your social and business life as well. Yellowing can happen over time, and can be a natural effect of aging. Thus, you have to exert conscious efforts to keep the teeth as healthy, bright, and as white as possible. You can go through a dental whitening treatment initially, then you must practice healthy habits after, to protect your teeth and keep them from yellowing.  Little did you know, your overall health is beginning to improve as well.

A set of teeth that gradually turns yellow, aside from being part of the aging process, is commonly caused by the choices of food and beverages you consume everyday, and some habits like smoking. They cause stains that are hard to remove even with intense brushing of the teeth. In fact, excessive brushing can damage your teeth as well, making them brittle and might even cause tooth loss. And with whitening procedures, with any process that will make your teeth appear whiter, it is beneficial for treating stains that darken the teeth’s enamel. The methods that the dentist will be performing would be an effective way of bringing back the natural white color of your teeth without removing any of the tooth surface. 

There are two ways of how teeth whitening is commonly done — using bleaching and non-bleaching whitening products. As literal as what they are called, bleaching is performed when the product they apply to your teeth contains bleach. And with non-bleaching, it is simply a whitening process that only improves the teeth’s condition without the use of any bleaching products. Bleaching products contain peroxide elements, like hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide, that remove both the surface and deep stains on teeth, causing them to become lighter than their natural shade. 

Before going through a dental whitening procedure, you have to be knowledgeable about all the processes, side effects, and any other things needed so you would not get overwhelmed with how it works. Also remember that some processes do not entirely change the color, but it may lighten the yellowing. It works only on natural teeth too, and not on any types of false teeth such as dentures, crowns, and veneers. 

Reasons Why Teeth Change in Color

As mentioned above, aside from the natural effects of aging to one’s teeth, there are other factors that result in the yellowing of the teeth. You have to evaluate your lifestyle and see to it if you must change certain aspects that might cause teeth discoloration. The food and beverages you consume, the tobacco use, some trauma that your teeth suffered from, and certain medications are the common factors that stain your teeth permanently. 

The food you eat and the beverages you drink can make your teeth gradually shift away from its natural color, especially if you consume coffee, tea, or red wine, on  a regular basis. These drinks are some major staining culprits, including dark and light sodas, together with sports drinks with artificial flavoring. They have intense color pigments that can be attached to the enamel. These also contain acids that not only will stain the teeth, but can also damage them in the future.

In terms of unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking and using tobacco, it can also create stubborn stains that stick to the surface of the teeth. There are two chemical properties that can be found in tobacco that creates such stains, such as tar and nicotine. The tar looks naturally dark, while nicotine can be colorless unless it is mixed with oxygen. When these two are combined, it turns into a yellowish staining substance — another reason to eliminate this unhealthy habit.

If you have been through an accident such as suddenly being hit in the mouth, its impact and trauma can crack tooth enamel that leads to discoloration. It reacts to an injury by laying down more dentin, a darker layer under the enamel. And lastly, if you have been taking continuous medication, there are certain medicines that can cause teeth discoloration as their side effects, especially with antibiotics. 

Professional Teeth Bleaching (In-Office Bleaching)

The most common method of dental whitening would be professional teeth bleaching, or also known as in-office bleaching. But before you have your teeth go through this process, the dentist will still check whether you are suitable for the treatment or not. 

The process involves the application of a proactive gel to your gums, or even a rubber shield, that will serve as a protection for your gums. Then, they will apply the bleach or the whitening product to the surface of your teeth with the use of a specially made tray that fits inside your mouth like a mouthguard. The bleach they will be using contains an active ingredient with peroxide elements, usually hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. And as they are applied to the teeth, oxygen gets into the enamel on the teeth, and by then the color becomes lighter. The bleach product used in in-office bleaching is usually stronger than those at-home dental whitening kits. Given this reason, most people opt for their dentist to do the job because it gets the teeth brighter faster. This is also because dental clinics have equipment that can intensify and make the whitening process faster. 

At-Home Teeth Bleaching

Another option for your dental whitening efforts would be doing it on your own at home. You can purchase tooth whitening strips, gels, and toothpastes. They are applied directly to the teeth, like what dentists do during in-office bleaching. However, these ones need to be applied once or twice a day, for around two weeks.

Whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide as well. So when you apply them to the surface of your teeth for a certain period of time, you can expect the shade of your teeth to be lightened by a few shades. Changing your regular toothpaste to whitening ones is also effective, and is part of the at-home dental whitening procedure. These toothpastes are like cleansers that lift surface stains from the teeth. You can see its effectiveness and improvements, but may not give you the whitening results you are looking for. 

You can also use a tray-based teeth bleaching procedure. With the use of a mouth guard-like tray filled with a bleaching gel or paste with peroxide properties, they are placed over the teeth for several hours a day. 

Side Effects of Bleaching

Aside from the benefits that bleaching can give you, you may have to experience temporary side effects. Some people find their teeth becoming sensitive to cold after the dental whitening treatment, and others feel discomfort in the gum area. Though these effects may be uncomfortable for you, they will disappear after a few days. But if any of the side effects continue, you should have it checked with your dentist.

Key Takeaway

No matter what dental whitening procedure you opt for, may it be an in-office bleaching or an at-home teeth bleaching, you will be guaranteed an improvement with your teeth color. This procedure will last. Just make sure that after the treatment, you should maintain them by regularly brushing, flossing, and rinsing. You can also help prevent the teeth stain by cutting down on the amount of food and drinks you usually consume that can stain teeth. Moreover, you should limit smoking or using tobacco to guarantee that you will not have your teeth get discolored again.