How Teeth Whitening Works – Cleansing the Stains of Life

People’s teeth are very important to them, not only for reasons of health, but also for self-esteem. So there now exists a multi-million dollar industry that seems to grow all the time to provide us with a range of tooth whitening products from toothpastes to bleaching kits to laser teeth whitening systems. Systems designed to help us get our pearly whites back to prime condition, or at the very least, appear to be.

Dentists are not prepared to be left out in the cold on this topic either, after all, we go to them for problems like tooth decay. However, because some decay is caused by poor hygiene, which can lead to some types of staining. it is inevitable that they should also offer assistance to assuage our worries about our teeth’s appearance.

Most dentists earn a significant portion of their income through cosmetic dentistry, or aesthetic dentistry as it is also known as, and some dentists do nothing but cosmetic dentistry.

Porcelain is not just for plates

One of the main aspects of cosmetic dentistry is fitting dental veneers. These weapons in the war against unsightly stains are also used to correct the shape, size or position of a tooth.

Veneers can be made from plastic, composite resin (which is a mixture of plastic and porcelain or quartz) or very often, just from porcelain alone.

Porcelain veneers (or porcelain laminate veneers) are a very popular choice. These wafer thin, but very hard and durable coverings that bond to teeth with specially developed and long lasting adhesives, can completely transform a person’s smile. They are as shiny and white as we want them to be and resist stains from caffeine, cola and even nicotine for years after they've been fitted to a tooth.

So let us investigate these cosmetic marvels in a little more detail.

Acting as little masks for our teeth, veneers are an excellent way to hide the affects of stains that teeth bleaching procedures struggle to remove. Veneers cover stains from tetracycline discolorations caused by antibiotic medicines, or unfortunate stains from root canal operations. Porcelain veneers are often recommended for hiding visible and off-color fillings in front teeth.

A less adventurous option than crowns, veneers sometimes outlast their 'bigger brothers'. When bonded into place, the veneer edges are practically indistinguishable along the margins of the gum line, so you don't need to worry that everyone is staring at them.

Teeth Grinders Beware

If you are the type of person that frequently clenches your teeth or grinds them together, then porcelain veneers are probably not for you. When mistreated over a long period of time, they can splinter at the edges. This is why responsible dentists will often advise the patients who grind their teeth, to wear a nighttime mouth guard.

A prevalence of enamel on the tooth in question is a plus when considering the purchase of veneers, since broken down structures are better off fully crowned.

The Porcelain Procedure

Presuming that you do not grind your teeth, and your enthusiasm for veneers is still high, then you should know that three dental appointments may be necessary to have veneers fitted to your teeth.

The first visit will be for planning, to see that you and your dentist agree as to what is required and desired from your new oral arrangements. For this purpose, dentists may offer computer generated images to theoretically let you see what you will look like after the veneers are added. This is especially helpful when changing a tooth's shape is also a concern. Before-and-after photos of previous happy customers might also be strategically employed at this time, to further whet your appetite for your new veneers.

An examination will have to take place to see that you are a suitable candidate. This is often just be a visual checkup, but x-rays may be needed as well.

If everything is okay, then at the next preparatory appointment, things can really start to move. Your teeth will need to be buffed first, or smoothed down less than a millimeter, in order to allow for the minute thickness of the porcelain. A local anesthetic may be required for this procedure.

Next, the dentist will make a mold of your tooth, which will be sent off to a lab where the veneers will be made individually. This usually takes between one to two weeks. While you are waiting for the veneers, most dentists will recommend that you avoid food and drinks that are extremely hot or cold, since buffing your teeth may leave them temporary over-sensitive.

The third appointment will be for fitting the new veneers and this may take a couple of hours. At the start of the final stage the dentist will wet the veneers with water, or use glycerin, and put them in place to see that they fit correctly and that you are happy with the result and color.

Tell the dentist immediately if you are not satisfied, since color adjustment can still be made by using a shaded cement. Once the veneer is on, however, it’s on. Having to remove it once it is fully fixed to your tooth, is not a good idea, as some of the tooth will be lost as it comes away. Also, any replacement veneer will not attach as well to the tooth, in fact, it may not attach at all.

Presuming that everything is okay, the teeth involved will be treated to allow the cement to adhere, and this cement will be applied between the tooth and the veneer. A light is then shone onto it in order to activate a hardening agent in the cement. Finally, any excess cement is then cleaned away.

Teeth Bleaching

Another modern method for whitening teeth is, of course, bleaching. There are different forms of bleaching kits available for this technique, including products used both in the dental office and at home. The bleaching products used in a dental office are typically professional whiteners with an extra strong concentration of ingredients. Home kits usually use milder and less effective, but much more affordable, bleaching products and are bought over the counter in drugstores.

Bring on the Power

One of the main in-office bleaching processes is the well known "Zoom" teeth whitening system. Zoom, and other brands, are known as "power bleaching" because they work so quickly, being aided by special lamps that activate the chemicals in the bleach.

In just 1½ hours, teeth can undergo a remarkable lightening of their color. Long term yellowish and brownish stains from the likes of tobacco, colas, some strong sauces and juices, tea and coffee, red wine, and aging stains are often significantly reduced or even removed entirely. However, less effective results may be experienced with the gray stains that are caused by heavy smoking and some antibiotic medicines.

The process of bleaching is very safe when performed under the care of an expert. Because of lack of clinical trials though, power bleaching is not recommended for children under 18 years of age or for pregnant women or nursing mothers.

Are you ready to Zoom?

To see if you are, a thorough examination of your teeth is required first, as well as x-rays, in order to check that there are no cavities lurking in your mouth, and that any previous restorations, like fillings or crowns, are properly and tightly sealed.

Also, fillings and crowns will not respond to bleaching, because the chemicals in bleaching products have been developed to clean the natural enamel and dentin of teeth. Your dentist will, of course, advise you of this before he or she starts off. With shade chart consultations to help, your dentist will try to ensure that the results match as closely as possible to these restorations, in order to prevent them from having to be replaced.

Before bleaching your teeth, a professional cleaning session should take place to remove or lessen the external stains (often known as extrinsic), so that the hydrogen peroxide (with Zoom) can get straight to work on the intrinsic stains which have penetrated through the outer enamel crystals of the teeth.

A bit of Rubber

Because bleaching chemicals can be irritating to skin and tissue, your gums and lips will be covered and protected from accidental exposure by a rubber mouth guard, shielding and perhaps even a special, soothing gel. The addition of protective eyewear is also required.

Some people may not feel comfortable at all with this rubber mouth guard in place. The urge to gag is not a fixed reflex, some of us have a stronger gag reflex than others, so this should also be discussed with your cosmetic dentist before the procedure gets under way.

Seeing the Light

Now the bleaching gel itself can be applied, and activated by a special high intensity light. Because the strong light is such a vital part of power bleaching, light sensitive people, or those with melanoma or anyone undergoing radiation treatment, should not consider this course of action. Anyone who is under other light-sensitive medication should definitely consult their doctor first to see if they should continue.

The hydrogen peroxide is broken down by the heat and light, releasing the oxygen molecules that penetrate your teeth, where they oxidize and bleach the organic stains without adversely affecting the tooth structure.

With Zoom, this is done in three twenty minute sessions, and after each session, the whitening agent is washed off and another layer applied.

It is done this way since results may be achieved quicker and so reapplication may not be needed. Also, doing it this way may aid sensitivity concerns for some patients although sensitivity should only last a short while (a couple of days at the most) if at all.

At the end of the third session (if a third session is necessary) a brief fluoride treatment will be initiated to help ward off any lingering achiness, and that will be that!

Your teeth will already be a lot whiter, and will continue to lighten over the next few days as the gel, still present in your teeth, takes effect. Some dentists will also advise a follow up home-bleaching kit for maintaining the new color condition of your teeth.

Space Age

Laser teeth whitening is even faster than power bleaching but more costly. Laser whitening works by using specific laser wavelengths that work along with bleaching gels to whiten your teeth. There is no need for the heat and bright light of power bleaching, and the experts claim that it is always faster, gentler, and easier to use than any other comparative in-office teeth whitening technique.

Doing it at Home

At-home bleaching is an alternative to those who are afraid of dentists, or who have a lower budget available.

At-home bleaching kits can be purchased from a dentist’s office or from a drugstore. The main difference of these kits is the strength of the ingredients, as has already been mentioned. Also, the kits from drugstores are usually much cheaper because, by federal law, they are not allowed to include the higher percentages of either of the bleaching agents: hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Although, for people with less staining, and those who will not need the extra strength ingredients, at-home kits can often be a better buy. But keep in mind that lower strength gels need to be worn for longer time periods.

There is another difference as well.

Both over-the-counter and dentist supervised kits come with trays, for holding the bleaching gels and making sure they work on your teeth. But they are very different types of trays indeed.

In Hot Water

Boil and bite moldable trays (also known as thermoform) are found in drugstore kits. These are plastic trays that you heat up yourself and mold to fit your dental arches. This process is achieved by first boiling up some water, then allowing it to cool slightly. Now the mouthpiece is dunked into the water for about 10 seconds to soften the plastic and make it malleable.

After letting the mouthpiece cool a little, to avoid burning your mouth, press the mouthpiece against your teeth (one tray will be for the upper set, and another for the lower) and using your fingers, tongue, and teeth, bite and press the moldable plastic so that it fits to the shape of those "less than pearly whites".

When you are satisfied that you have a close fit, cut off the tabs so that your mouth can close with the mouthpiece inside and you are ready to roll. A third boil and bite tray is often included by manufacturers in case one is lost, or for you to use to test the procedure. You can repeat the dunking with the initial ones to make adjustments if need be.

These plastic trays will now harden up as they cool. It is these trays that the whitening gel is placed into when you go to use them. Probably the best way of achieving this is to place the gel on the inside of the front of the mouthpiece and let it dispense itself across the surface of your teeth as you wear the mouthpiece, rather than trying to put the gel onto your teeth before using the tray to hold it there.

The boil `n’ bit trays are relatively cheap and certainly can be very effective, but they will never fit to your teeth as precisely as lab created trays available from your dentist.

As Impressionable as Putty

You still have to do a bit of biting of course, but in this case, you bite into putty. First mix the putty and then take your impression tray and fill it up with the said mixture. Now bite into this fully, making sure that none of your teeth are touching the plastic tray, but are all up against the putty on all sides. Also, bite deeply to cover a bit of your gums in the impression as well.

Now hold your bite in place for 3-4 minutes, and pray nobody comes calling at the door!

When the putty starts to harden, gently release the grip of your teeth, and then send the tray off so the labs can construct your mouthpieces from the putty impressions you have just prepared for them.

These professional mouthpieces will obviously fit better and feel more comfortable to wear. They also have the advantage of using up less of the whitening gel each time you use them, because a snug fit means that no gel should be wasted or spilled.

The Time

When you have your trays ready, either the boil & bite or the individual lab-created sorts, you will obviously want to use them.

Wearing time will vary depending on which of the many products you are using and the sensitivity of your teeth. Many manufacturers and retailers tend to recommend using the teeth whitening product from 30 minutes to one hour per session, but you can adjust this if you'd prefer more frequent shorter sessions or fewer longer ones. Keep in mind that the total bleach application time (often referred to as the `cumulative time’) of home bleaching products can be anywhere between 15 - 40 hours.

Problems

If you have very sensitive teeth, and there is usually some discomfort associated with teeth bleaching, try using a desensitizing gel or toothpaste on bleaching days.

It is also a good idea to brush your teeth thoroughly before bleaching, to remove any food that might be hanging about.

Excess salivation can also occur when beginning a bleaching course, but this will stop as the internal mouth chemistry begins to get accustomed to reacting to the bleach.

Stripes and Blotches

Sometimes bleached teeth respond to the chemicals in certain areas, like the edges and sides, a bit quicker than the rest of the tooth because the enamel is thicker in spots and more bleaching takes place. Don’t worry, the rest of the teeth will eventually catch up and even out in color.

Simplicity

If all of this seems far too much bother, then products like Crest Whitestrips may be just what you are looking for. This comparatively new addition to the teeth whitening market is a nearly invisible, stretchy and bendy strip with the bleaching agents in them. You simply peel the strips off the paper and stick them across your teeth for half an hour, and let the chemicals soak in without any fuss.

According to the manufacturer, our quest for perfect white teeth has never easier.

Prevention Rather than Cure

Some toothpastes are teeth whitening agents themselves which help to combat the twin nasties of plaque and tartar, and also contain tooth strengthening and decay fighting capabilities. Even without these added benefits, they are probably the best way, along with regular flossing, of preventing the build up of unwanted stains.

It’s a fact that teeth don’t stain that easily. The enamel itself does not allow food stains to amass and remain if cleaned regularly by brushing. The amount of cunningly designed toothbrush shapes out there, as well as electric toothbrushes, testify to the many virtues of a good hard scrub.

But if your teeth make you less than proud, there is quite a choice of ways available to have them sorted out, from helpful off-the-shelf products to professional teeth whitening, don’t refuse to smile, get your teeth whitened!

About The Author

Matt Jacks is a successful article writer for hireproviding tips and advice for consumers purchasing cosmetic dentistry online and teeth whitening products. His numerous articles offer moneysaving tips and valuable insight on typically confusing topics.