Tooth Whitening Basics

Almost everyone wants a bright, white smile. This is why so many Suwanee residents commit so much time and money to whiten their teeth. To achieve a white smile, people can visit their dentist for a professional cleaning (for a professional price) or buy the do-it-yourself tooth whitening kit at any local pharmacy.

Hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide are two of the chemicals used most commonly for this purpose. The strength and effectiveness of the chemicals are different in these two materials. The use of the stronger hydrogen peroxide gel needs to be monitored and is normally used by dentists. The do-it-yourself kits contain the much less reactive carbamide gel. Patients have to use the carbamide gel over a longer period of time than the hydrogen peroxide treatment administered by the dentist.

Why do teeth lose their whiteness? Tooth discoloration can happen as a person ages even if he/she doesn’t drink tea or coffee or smoke or grind their teeth, the most common factors affecting tooth whiteness. People are born with a unique interior tooth color that becomes gradually visible with the loss of tooth enamel through contact large doses of fluoride, and medical or physical trauma. Such discoloration or staining is referred to as “intrinsic staining.”

“Extrinsic staining” is staining created by the ingestion of dark-colored drinks such as tea or coffee, smoking, eating habits, genetic influences and habitual teeth grinding.

Both types of stains are treatable, but the age of the patient and the level of staining play a large role in the final results. The patient needs to be aware that not all intrinsic stains can be completely removed and they should discuss this with their dentist or whitening technician before consenting to treatment.

To have the process performed by a trained professional takes fifteen to twenty minutes. The treatment begins with the patient wearing a mouth guard and then having a “rubber guard” painted on the gums. Next, a peroxide gel is applied to the teeth and in a few minutes the whitening work is done. A take-home kit is usually sent home with the patient to tackle the more persistent stains or just for maintenance. Patients are advised to not smoke, to avoid dark colored food and drinks, and to not drink through a straw for a number of days after the treatment.

Suwanee dentists sometimes sell take home kits with the requisite tools to the patient, but the peroxide gel provided with the kit is not as strong as the one used in the dental office. Such a choice can often save a patient a great deal of money, but it may not provide the same quick and powerful results as those possibly achieved by the dentist.

The take-home tooth whitening kits, though, generally produce very good results over the course of a week. But this easy-to-use and cheaper alternative cannot remove all intrinsic or deeper discoloration.