Can Teeth Whitening Get Rid Of Stains and Discoloration
Though they may appear white during your younger years, your teeth can acquire stains over time. Tooth stains can be caused by several factors, from genetics to lifestyle activities like smoking and consuming certain foods and beverages.
If you’ve noticed your teeth veering away from its natural shade, you might have asked yourself whether teeth whitening can remove stains. The straightforward answer is, yes.
Anyone who drinks a lot of coffee or tea
has probably stood in front of a mirror and looked at their teeth, only to be absolutely horrified at the stains appearing on them. The same is true of individuals who enjoy a glass of wine with some regularity.
While there are plenty of foods and beverages that can potentially stain one’s teeth, these are undoubtedly the biggest offenders. As luck would have it, they're also the ones that people routinely consume, often several times a day. That's not necessarily good news for someone who practically lives off tea or coffee.
It's also rather disconcerting to learn that
just a couple of glasses of wine each day can severely stain one’s teeth. Without intervention, these stains are likely to be there for the long haul.Is It Possible To Remove Stains From Teeth Effectively?
The good news
is that stains don't have to remain on teeth indefinitely. Thanks to some very effective modern technology, it's possible to remove almost any type of stain from teeth, given that the right method is used in order to do so.
-
Even for individuals whose teeth are so badly
stained that they just can't quite get them to the shade of white they would like, - there are additional methods that can be used in conjunction with teeth whitening in order to cover any stains that do remain.
- It's also worth noting that this is highly unlikely and only occurs in some of the worst cases.
Whitening versus Stain Removal
Wanting to achieve whiter teeth is not a remote desire. In fact, around 80% of Americans who are 18 to 49 years old state that they want to whiten their teeth..
Most patients have the so-called extrinsic staining (or the condition wherein the stain only affects your enamel or the outer protective layer of your teeth). The primary option to address this dental concern is usually through stain removal.
Stain removal is performed by a dental expert and can be made available during a routine dental cleaning appointment. This procedure is the process of removing plaque deposits that typically cause stains through equipment like an ultrasonic scaler and various handheld instruments. The teeth are then polished afterward.
Professional whitening, on the other hand, is a cosmetic service that aims to change the color of the teeth. In America, this is hailed as the most requested teeth-related cosmetic procedure.
Click here to shop for dentist approved oral care products by Ghost White
Using a chemical reaction
By employing this method, the carbon bonds that create the yellowish stains in your teeth are broken apart through a chemical reaction that's explained really well by this National Institute of Health article. This can be achieved or done in three main ways:
Bleaching
Bleaching. This dentist-performed whitening method — which can whiten teeth by up to 14 shades — uses a concentrated peroxide solution of around 35%. According to this article by WebMD, which is generally considered to be a trusted source, the cost of these treatments can range between $500-$1,000 when performed by a dentist.
Kits
Teeth-whitening kits. These kits mainly feature a mouthpiece filled with gel, designed to be worn by dental patients for a certain period of time. When it comes to oral care and teeth whitening, many consider at-home kits to be a more affordable option.
Increasingly, you will probably find more dental offices suggesting the use of these products at home for patients looking for a lower price point. For instance, the Ghost White teeth whitening kit is dentist approved and available online with free shipping. It uses a bright blue LED light. While some may argue that the bright light may not increase the effectiveness of treatment, we certainly think it helps!
If you're looking for a trusted source on the matter and you don't mind sifting through scholarly articles written by a doctor, you should definitely check out the effect of light-activation sources on tooth bleaching. It shows a mix of different findings with studies from Luk et al and others like Torres et al seeming to show a positive benefit from use of a bright blue LED light. Other studies were inconclusive, so their overall report shows you both sides of the discussion and you can draw your own conclusions from there if you want.
Toothpaste
Over-the-counter whitening toothpaste. This is your third option we're going to discuss today. Toothpaste with around 4% peroxide solution can whiten teeth by up to three shades. These usually also include baking soda, which can also help you have brighter teeth.
Many people seeking an at-home solution to brighter teeth also look to the new activated charcoal toothpastes by manufacturers like Colgate instead of a toothpaste with high amounts of baking soda and peroxide. In either case, yellow teeth enamel or a slight tooth discoloration may benefit from using these products. However, you should always check with a dental health care professional before making any major changes to your oral care routine.
As a side note, many people also add oil pulling with coconut oil to their oral care routine. It's considered to be beneficial to the overall health of your mouth and may help reduce bad breath causing bacteria according to WebMD.
What about deep stains on enamel?
Take note that your teeth’s surface is not a smooth one — it has microscopic pores that can trap stain-causing particles in your enamel. This causes the susceptibility to develop yellow teeth. Mainly because of unhealthy habits like smoking, stains can become deeply embedded in your teeth over time.
In this case, a store-bought whitening toothpaste might be ineffective. Experts advise that you seek a dental-grade whitening treatment in order to get rid of deep stains.
You've got options for a brighter smile that deliver results in just minutes from the comfort of your home. The best part is, you will usually notice a difference in tooth color with the very first application. However, areas with deeper discoloration may take several treatments to notice the full effects.
Different types of tooth stains
There are different types of tooth stains, and each demands different solutions.
White spots on teeth. These aren’t merely stains — they are also the earliest signs of cavity formation. These spots can be attributed to loss of calcium on your tooth.
Tobacco stains. The nicotine and tar present in tobacco causes your teeth to turn yellow. Dentists recommend the constant use of whitening products to remove this type of stain.
Tetracycline stains. Tetracyclines refer to antibiotics that combat bacterial infections. A side effect of getting exposed to these is that it sometimes causes tooth staining.
Dental fluorosis. Too much fluoride can be detrimental to your dental health, specifically, it can lead to the staining for your teeth, albeit in a mild manner only.
Getting rid of these different types of stains on your teeth doesn’t involve a one-size-fits-all solution, and it's a gradual process as shown above. If you want to have your teeth whitened, it’s advisable to seek professional attention from a whitening expert first to better assess your situation. This way, proper treatment can be applied accordingly.
Are All Teeth Whitening Methods The Same?
Without a doubt,
there are certain methods that are far superior to others. For example, using a special whitening system that utilizes light designed to remove stains from teeth is far more effective than many of the over-the-counter products that can be found in a local drug store.
In addition,
the systems that use light, such as the Ghost White system, are typically much safer when compared to products that utilize all kinds of chemicals in order to get the job done. Perhaps even more importantly, these types of systems don't cause pain, nor do they make your teeth more sensitive than they already are.
-
This is especially important
if you've been struggling with issues with sensitive teeth for quite some time. - In short, the method that uses light as opposed to chemical whitening are far superior,
- not to mention proving more effective in the long-term.
Some of the products
that are available over-the-counter include chemical strips or other types of chemicals applied topically to the teeth. The issue with many of these products is that in wearing away the stains, they also wear away the enamel. Systems that utilize light, such as Ghost White, do not have those types of issues.
This means
they can effectively get rid of the stains on your teeth without causing any additional damage. That's precisely why it's one of the foremost ways to get whiter teeth,especially for individuals who are conscientious about their oral health.
Shop Now
Our at-home tooth whitening kit is dentist-approved and effective at removing teeth stains and tooth discoloration. Click the image below to try out the at-home tooth whitening kit by Ghost White:
Check out a few related articles from our blog: