Teeth Whitening

What is Teeth Whitening?

Stained, dull, or discolored teeth, have been restored with Whitening procedures.
Many times the outer layer of enamel is worn away by the effects of aging or caffeine and tobacco stains. When that happens, the darker tissue of your teeth, the dentin, might become exposed.

A certain protein attracts food particles to a tooth's enamel. Coffee, tea, berries and soy sauce can easily stain teeth. After a while, teeth become more absorbent and vulnerable to staining.

Traumatic injuries, medications and fluorosis create a stain that begins inside the tooth. In that case, brushing and flossing won’t help. External factors, such as foods, cause another type of stain that can be attacked by brushing, flossing and rinsing.

More people today are choosing tooth-whitening procedures in an effort to reverse the effects of aging and abuse from food and tobacco stains.

There are some available "whitening toothpastes" that can be effective at removing stains, while making teeth a few shades brighter. You should know that a number of these products have abrasive substances that can wear down your tooth's enamel.

Whitening agents will change the color of your teeth, however, they are only effective on certain stains. These bleaching agents will have a difficult time removing brownish or grayish stains. They also are not as effective on pitted or badly discolored teeth. Restorations like crowns, bridges, bonding and tooth-colored fillings are better served with porcelain veneers or dental bonding.

The safest and most effective method is professional whitening performed by our office. Done properly, tooth whitening can last as long as five years. Over-the-counter whitening systems are somewhat effective but they should be monitored and directions followed closely.