What Should You Know About Dental Whitening?

Dental whitening has become an obsession among people nowadays. The most common request cosmetic dentists receive is regarding teeth whitening. People hesitate to smile and laugh freely with yellow teeth and often cover their mouths while doing so.

However, teeth are naturally a bit pale. They aren’t too white and bright as shown in advertisements.

If you have slightly yellow teeth, you can easily make them brighter by using home remedies for teeth brightening, employing teeth-whitening toothpaste, or utilizing crest whitening strips.

Why Do Teeth Become Yellow?

• Aging – As you age, your teeth tend to get paler. This is because your teeth’s outer enamel wears away with time revealing the yellow dentin, which is the second layer of your teeth.
• Smoking – Nicotine is bad addiction and the tar from smoking damages your oral hygiene. Even chewing tobacco is harmful. It can cause gum diseases. Heavy smokers generally end up having ugly yellowish/brownish and crippled teeth, as well as a bad odor. If you do not want to spend a lot of money on whitening treatments, consider using crest whitening strips.
• Diet – Dark curries, coffee, and sauces cause the teeth to stain if they are used regularly and excessively. These items contain tannin, a chemical, which is famous for its blemishing properties. Soda drinks also contribute to the discoloration of teeth. Apart from these, food rich in acid and sugar like candies, wine, processed foods, etc. also cause discoloration.
• Enamel thinning – Our teeth have a deep yellow layer of material under the enamel. As the enamel layer begins wearing down or thinning, that yellow layer (dentin) is exposed, which makes teeth look yellower.
• Dry mouth condition – If you suffer from xerostomia or dry mouth condition, your enamel is bereft of healthy bacteria-fighting agents. So, a dry mouth can also lead to yellow teeth.
• Tartar and Plaque – If you do not brush properly, bacteria attack your teeth and form colonies of plaque and tartar. If you do not pay attention, they can cause cavities. Plaque is the yellow covering on your teeth and can be removed by proper brushing of your teeth.
• Medicines – Some medicines tend to destroy your teeth’s enamel and leave them vulnerable to discoloration.

Why Do People Consider Teeth Whitening?

Many people consider teeth whitening because their confidence gets affected due to stained and yellow teeth. They want to improve their smile and show off their healthy and beautiful smile. Some people also want to whiten their teeth because:

• They are getting married or there is an important event.
• They want to achieve a youthful appearance.
• They wish to reverse the brown and yellow blemishes sustained in the accident.
• They want to protect their teeth from decay.
• They wish to enhance their appearance.
• They want to increase confidence.

How Can I Whiten My Teeth?

Home Remedies

You can whiten your teeth while sitting at home without using any harsh products if they are not too yellow. These remedies are great for whitening pale teeth over time, however, they may not yield instant results.

• Oil Pulling – This technique involves swishing or pulling and pushing one teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth after you wake up for 15-20 minutes. The oil pulls the body’s toxins and the bacteria in your mouth. After the competition of oil pulling, spit out the oil in a dustbin or toilet. It is a great way to improve your oral health along with teeth whitening.
• Baking Soda – Brushing your teeth gently with baking soda can also help whiten your teeth. The soda particles will scrub the stains. If you add hydrogen peroxide, you would notice the difference even faster. Hydrogen peroxide is known for teeth whitening and is a common ingredient in crest whitening strips.
• Other remedies – People also use strawberry paste mixed with baking sod; activated charcoal; diluted apple cider vinegar; and other ingredients to whiten their teeth at home.

Whitening Strips

If you have a crucial event to attend within a short time, crest whitening strips will act as a quick solution. You can easily find whitening strips in a drug store or grocery store, and that too at an affordable price.

They are extremely easy to use and will offer some whitening effects. You will have to take out a strip from the box and place it on your teeth for approximately 30 minutes.

Whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide or some active ingredients fixed on a flexible plastic strip. Crest whitening strips are the most effective ones because they penetrate dentin as well as tooth enamel to lighten intrinsic stains.

Some brands use chlorine dioxide in strips, which is a harmful chemical. If you use the strips as per the steps mentioned in the box, nothing will happen to your teeth and gums.

Dental Treatment

If you want immediate and considerable difference, fix an appointment with your dentist. It generally takes an hour to finish this process but most of the stains and discoloration get fixed in only one sitting. The only disadvantage is that this process is expensive.

Other Whitening Products

When you will look for teeth whitening products, you will come across whitening mouthwashes, toothpaste, gels, trays, chewing gums, etc.

• Whitening toothpaste can be used for a month to reduce stains and discoloration of teeth. Teeth whitening toothpaste does not contain bleach but special chemicals that are stronger and fight off stains without causing dental harm.
• Teeth whitening trays gels and trays are also effective but using them can be challenging. You may have to wear clear trays for several hours a day or overnight for 3-14 days before desirable results are seen. Buy these treatment kits only after the dentist’s recommendation because they may contain bleaching agents, which can cause irritation and deteriorate your oral health.

The Bottom Line

Having yellow teeth has nothing to do with oral health. Your lifestyle and food habits can cause teeth to stain or lose bright colors. But that does not mean your teeth have become less strong or have got damaged. Teeth whitening is done for cosmetic purposes.

You should consider going to a dentist for teeth whitening only if your teeth have become too yellow. You can check out this dentist in Farmington to get started.