One of the most common dental services is teeth whitening. Universally applicable to just about any patient, anyone can benefit from teeth whitening services. Teeth whitening is performed in a couple different ways, giving family dentists options in how best to treat their patients.
Dental whitening can greatly improve the cosmetic appearance of one’s teeth, mouth, and overall smile. Teeth whitening is simple and straightforward and can be done on almost any patient. The focus of teeth whitening is to remove stains and discoloration to the teeth, bringing out their natural white hue.
How Teeth Whitening Works – Understanding Tooth Color
How do teeth become discolored, to begin with? How is it that some people are born with natural, pearly whites, and others are born with seemingly inherent staining? Understanding the benefits of teeth whitening and how the process can work for you and your family first begins with garnering an understanding of how teeth become stained in the first place. So let’s take a look at this process.
First, let’s consider the tooth enamel. Your teeth are covered by enamel, the outermost, protective layer of each tooth. The enamel of the teeth is what will pick up stains and discolorations from dietary and lifestyle habits, such as drinking coffee regularly, drinking tea regularly, smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, not brushing one’s teeth regularly, etc.
And there’s another factor too. The layer beneath the enamel, called the “dentin” is the area of the tooth that actually creates the color for the tooth. Remember that tooth color is affected by two factors, lifestyle habits/diet, and genetics. This is why different people will have different shades of white in their teeth, even if they have the exact same lifestyle and diet habits.
The dentin of the teeth is usually a darker white than the enamel of the teeth is, so individuals with thinner enamel will likely showcase darker teeth, as more of the dentin is showing through the partially translucent enamel. And as tooth enamel can and does pick up and hold stains, both of these factors can and do influence tooth color.
How Teeth Whitening Works
If you are interested in getting teeth whitening services for you, for a spouse, for a son or daughter, here is how the process will come about:
- First, your dentist will perform a thorough inspection of the mouth, teeth, and gums, ensuring that there are no medical conditions or health issues within the mouth that need to be addressed first.
- The next step is to photograph the teeth, ensuring that good images are captured to obtain a clear “Before and After.”
- Next up, your dentist will interview you or your family member, to determine what brought on the teeth staining in the first place. Your dentist can observe and inspect for thin enamel, particularly dark dentin, etc., but learning about various lifestyle patterns that may have been conducive to teeth staining will take some questioning.
- The next step is to clean the teeth. A regular teeth cleaning by a dental hygienist or your dentist is needed at this point because the teeth need to be very recently cleaned for the teeth whitening process to be effective.
- Finally, the teeth whitening process begins. The first step of the process is to apply a protective substance to the gums. The whitening gels that are used on the teeth should not come into contact with the gums, as the gums are far more sensitive than the teeth themselves are.
- Next, the dentist will apply a whitening gel to the teeth themselves. This gel contains a combination of nontoxic dental bleach and other cleansing substances. The gel not only breaks down and removes the stains, but the gel returns a luster and shine to the teeth as well.
Dental whitening procedures vary, dentist to dentist, but all are quick, easy, affordable, and comfortable processes. Follow up visits are always recommended, to ensure that the process achieves the desired results. Lifestyle recommendations are also advised, as abstaining from substances and habits that stain one’s teeth will obviously make each teeth-whitening process last longer.
Teeth whitening is a pleasant process that can be done on anyone in the family. To make for a great, shining and bright white smile for school pictures, a promotion at the office, family photos around the holidays, or just to improve one’s teeth, gums, and mouth, consider teeth whitening today.