February 14, 2009

In the last few years, bright smiles have found their way beyond advertisements and mass media and into the lives of real people, thanks to enormous advancements in teeth whitening that make it more affordable, more easily accessible, and more effective. A Teeth whitening Smile makeover has become so in-demand that most family dentists now offer safe, effective whitening at prices even the most pressed wallet can handle. Many would-be customers are deterred from undertaking help from a professional because of the emergence of so many inexpensive do-it-yourself kits. But before anyone decides to take on teeth whitening on their own, it’s important to understand exactly what teeth whitening does.

 

Many patients are often curious as to the distinction between whitening and bleaching products. For instance, why doesn’t whitening toothpaste whiten teeth in lieu of a whitening product sold over-the-counter or else one that’s administered by a skilled cosmetic dentist?

 

Whitening toothpaste aims at removing superficial staining and discoloration from the tooth’s enamel. While this addresses one cause of tooth discoloration, the darkening of teeth is actual a semi-natural process caused by aging (it’s actually one of the things that makes people invariably look their true age) caused by the gradual darkening of the nerve belying the tooth’s enamel, surrounded by dentin. As we age, the nerve darkens and the dentin begins to absorb the darker color; translucent enamel then broadcasts that darkening. To fully whiten the tooth, the dentin must be bleached, which is where home and dentists’ office whitening treatments come into play.

 

Bleaching treatments from the dentist and from do-it-yourself kits access the tooth’s dentin and whiten it with a peroxide active ingredient, allowing the enamel’s white color to project the vivid whiteness of young teeth that we associate with youthful smiles. Yet effective bleaching is still best left to the professional.

Do it yourself home bleaching can often produce uneven results. What’s more, treatment by a home kit often requires a significant time commitment since the bleaching solution is more diluted, and for the slight savings these offer versus dentist teeth whitening, the often inferior results are not justified for the long time commitment. Furthermore, multiple exposures to the bleach used in home kits often leads to far greater sensitivity to hot and cold than professionally administered treatments.

 

For the small expense of professional teeth whitening, patients will receive a tried and true whitening solution that will take far less time and promises far more consistent results than spotty home whitening treatments.