Teeth whitening is a standard and effective cosmetic dental procedure that can boost your confidence by brightening your smile. Teeth discoloration happens over time because of several factors, including consuming beverages like coffee or tea, smoking tobacco, or the natural aging process. You can seek professional whitening treatments to safely eliminate the deep stains in your teeth. Some at-home remedies can also make your teeth whiter, giving you the smile you have always desired. You should seek the services of a reliable cosmetic dentist to help you determine the appropriate tooth whitening method.

Causes Of Tooth Discoloration

The natural brightness of your teeth can fade slowly because of external and internal elements affecting your teeth. Understanding the cause of your tooth discoloration can enable you to select optimal teeth-whitening procedures.

Surface Discoloration or External Stains

Surface discoloration often occurs on the enamel that forms the outer layer of your tooth. External stains form from daily practices and environmental influences. The following are the common causes:

  • Lack of proper tooth brushing and flossing or poor oral hygiene enhances plaque and stain development, causing discoloration that reduces natural tooth brightness.

  • Using tobacco products through chewing or smoking — This exposes your teeth to both nicotine and tar substances. Nicotine can turn into yellow stains if exposed to oxygen, producing extensive tooth discoloration over time. On the other hand, tar forms dark stains on the surfaces of your teeth.

  • Consuming staining drinks and food — Pigments in dark drinks like cola, red wine, tea, and coffee can stick to tooth enamel, creating visible stains. Certain foods are acidic and can dissolve your tooth enamel, weakening its resistance to staining.

Deep Discoloration or Internal Stains

Deep discoloration forms inside the tooth structure, called the dentin layer. Internal stains are challenging to remove using standard whitening chemicals. The causes of internal stains include:

  • Injury or trauma — A blow to your mouth can cause tooth darkening because of internal bleeding and a change in the dentin material.

  • Taking too much fluoride during childhood can cause dental fluorosis. This can lead to brown or white staining of the teeth.

  • Taking tetracycline and doxycycline antibiotics during childhood can cause deep tooth stains because they interfere with developing teeth. Radiation and chemotherapy to the neck and head can also lead to modifications in tooth color.

  • Your tooth enamel can deteriorate because of the natural aging process. This can expose yellowish dentin, which becomes visible beneath the enamel.

Medical and Genetic Factors

Some people often have whiter or thicker enamel. On the other hand, genetic factors can make your teeth vulnerable to discoloration. Enamel hypoplasia is a common developmental defect that causes irregular tooth colors.

Understanding Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure that dentists use to eliminate discoloration and stains from teeth, making your teeth brighter. This procedure involves using bleaching agents like carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide to break down stains at a molecular level.

Teeth whitening enhances the appearance of your smile but does not change the underlying structure of your teeth. The chemicals used in professional teeth-whitening procedures penetrate the enamel, offering a permanent solution unlike over-the-counter products.

The effectiveness of teeth-whitening chemicals differs based on certain factors, including:

  • Your natural tooth composition

  • The selected whitening method, and

  • How discolored your teeth are

The response to bleaching chemicals also varies between different kinds of stains. For example, you might require cosmetic treatments like bonding and veneers if the stains are caused by medications or trauma. You should seek professional guidance before starting a teeth-whitening treatment. It is important to consult an experienced cosmetic dental expert because various treatments have different strengths and application methods.

How To Make Your Teeth Whiter

There are several ways of achieving whiter teeth:

  1. Professional In-Office Teeth Whitening

Under dental expert supervision, professional teeth whitening is the most effective tooth whitening procedure performed using high-concentration bleaching solutions. During preparation, your dental expert will make protective barriers around your gums and soft tissues. The dentist does this to prevent irritation. Your dentist will then use a retractor to keep your cheeks and lips away from the teeth. A bleaching solution like carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide is applied. Carbamide and hydrogen peroxide have a 15% to 40% concentration and are ideal for enamel treatment.

Your dental expert can also use laser equipment, UV, or LED to accelerate the chemical reaction, thus improving the outcome. The tooth whitening procedure requires several sessions of 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

A professional whitening session in your dental expert’s office can have noticeable teeth whitening effects. The period your teeth will remain white after the procedure depends on periodic maintenance visits.

The longevity of tooth whitening results will also depend on how you maintain your teeth between treatments through oral hygiene practices. You can consider professional in-office teeth whitening if you desire faster and more effective tooth whitening.

Some over-the-counter whitening products are used excessively and misused. This can weaken the enamel, causing tooth sensitivity. Your dental expert will apply professional-grade whitening gel that helps to reduce sensitivity.

Professional teeth-whitening solutions can make your teeth look brighter for a longer time. The dental bleaching solutions are highly concentrated and can penetrate deep stains. As a result, they produce results that stay visible for a long time. However, you should observe good oral care to keep your teeth bright for months or years.

  1. Professional Take-Home Whitening Kits

Professional take-home whitening kits include custom-made trays and prescription-strength whitening gels that dental experts provide. This treatment provides a methodical approach to teeth whitening through systematic application. Custom trays made from dental impressions provide a uniform gel distribution while preventing gel from reaching the gums. The concentration of bleaching solution ranges from 10% to 22% hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. This makes professional take-home kits effective than over-the-counter products but milder than in-office treatment.

You can wear the custom-made trays for a few hours daily or overnight for one to two weeks. This treatment results in visible teeth whitening lasting several months to one year. You can consider professional take-home whitening kits if you want durable professional whitening without incurring the cost of in-house whitening. Whitening kits are ideal for light to moderate staining problems.

  1. Over-The-Counter Whitening Products

You can access over-the-counter products in stores, but their capacity to whiten teeth varies from product to product. They include:

Whitening Toothpaste And Mouthwash

These products have low peroxide concentrations, mild abrasives, and chemical agents that remove surface stains while preserving the original tooth color. Whitening toothpaste is meant to make your smile brighter. It has silica and abrasive ingredients that remove extrinsic stains by scrubbing the surface of the teeth. Silica removes stains while hydrogen peroxide eliminates surface stains and whitens.

Whitening Gels And Trays

Generic whitening trays with gel work just like take-home kits. However, they do not have a custom fit, increasing the risk of uneven application of the whitening agent and gum irritation. Getting a bright smile using whitening gels and trays is straightforward. It includes:

  • Your dental expert makes impressions of your teeth, developing moulds used to make whitening trays

  • The dental expert will place a bleaching solution in the trays as you wear them for four hours per day for one to two weeks.

Over time, you will notice substantial improvement in the whiteness of your teeth.

Whitening Rinses

Whitening rinses are dental rinses that gently eliminate surface stains and brighten your teeth over time. Dental rinses contain hydrogen peroxide and are used in daily dental care routines for whiter and fresher smiles. You will experience visible results after several weeks or months of consistent use.

Whitening Strips

Whitening strips have thin plastic strips that contain peroxide-based gel coating. You should apply the strips every day for at least two weeks. They produce mild whitening outcomes, and the teeth whitening might not spread equally across all the tooth surfaces.

The effectiveness of over-the-counter products is limited. You should use them continuously for weeks to months to see results. The outcomes realized by over-the-counter products tend to be inconsistent and last a shorter period. You should only consider over-the-counter whitening products if you have mild tooth staining and are looking for an inexpensive method of gradual tooth whitening.

Tips To Keep Your Teeth Bright

Teeth whitening is not permanent; the stains can recur if you expose your teeth to certain foods or beverages. The effectiveness of teeth whitening will depend on the whitening method and the staining level. The following tips can help keep your teeth bright after whitening:

Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks

Avoid colored food that could stain your teeth. Colored food affects the color of your teeth, making them appear and feel unrefreshed and unhealthy. For example, pasta sauce has staining agents that leave your teeth vulnerable to staining. Besides its acidity, the bright red will stick on your teeth and can easily penetrate the enamel, leaving unsightly stains. Some drinks can also cause teeth staining. Wine, tea, carbonated drinks, coffee, and sports drinks can stain teeth and enhance enamel erosion.

Curry, commonly found in Indian dishes, is delicious but highly pigmented. The deep yellow pigmentation can stain teeth over time. Accompany curried food with fruits like apples and cucumbers to remove stains and make your teeth brighter.

Balsamic vinegar can also darken your teeth. Dark pigments and the sticky texture can cause dark colors to develop on the enamel. Eating balsamic vinegar and greens can prevent it from sticking to your teeth.

Good Oral Hygiene - Brushing and Flossing

Brushing your teeth at least twice daily is the best way to maintain bright teeth. It helps eliminate bacteria and plaque. Brush your teeth gently twice a day. You could hurt your gums and tooth enamel if you brush too hard. Use brushes that have soft bristles.

Floss after brushing to maintain proper oral hygiene. Flossing eliminates bacteria and plaque between the teeth, areas where the toothbrush bristles cannot reach. You can use a water flosser, interdental brushes, flossettes, dental tape, or string dental floss. Flossing is as essential as brushing because it eliminates food particles stuck within the teeth, reducing inflammation and stimulating the gums. Avoid using a toothpick because it can damage your gums.

Good Diet

Avoid starchy and sugary foods that can cause plaque formation. A balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can help keep your teeth brighter. You should also drink water after every meal to remove excess food particles that cause plaque formation.

Eat foods that can remove stains, including cucumber, cauliflower, carrot, celery, pear, and apple.

Avoid Cigarettes and Tobacco Products

Smoking affects your dental hygiene. You should avoid cigarettes for proper dental hygiene. Smoking increases levels of tartar and plaque if the germs stay on your teeth for a long period. Tobacco affects the color of your teeth, making them appear and feel unrefreshed and unhealthy.

Seek Regular Professional Cleanings

A healthy smile is vital for your overall well-being. Also known as dental prophylaxis or scaling, professional dental cleaning is essential to maintaining brighter teeth. Tartar and plaque development can dull your teeth and lead to cavities. Your dental expert will provide professional cleaning that eliminates the tartar buildup and leaves your teeth brighter.

You should undergo professional teeth cleaning every six months. It is challenging to remove tartar from your teeth by only brushing. Your dental expert can professionally remove tartar using special instruments and skills.

Drink Using A Straw

Drinking through a straw helps prevent staining drinks from touching the tooth surfaces. Equip yourself with a pack of straws in your office and home. Have one handy if you are craving a teeth-staining drink.

Find a Dependable Dentist Near Me

If you have stained teeth, you can feel uncomfortable and have low self-esteem. You can find it challenging to interact with people for fear that they will notice your unsightly smile. The good news is that several teeth whitening procedures can brighten your smile. You can opt for professional in-house tooth whitening or over-the-counter and at-home remedies. You are better off seeking professional tooth whitening if you have severely stained teeth. On the other hand, mildly stained teeth can be addressed using over-the-counter whitening solutions.

Contact the Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry if you seek reliable professional tooth whitening services. Our dentists are certified and experienced in providing effective tooth whitening services. Contact us today at 310-361-2080 to speak to one of our dentists.