Tooth Whitening

Commonly performed these days in cosmetic dentistry, tooth whitening is the process of whitening darker colored teeth. White teeth are often taken as a sign of good health, social status, and youth. However as we grow older, our teeth require more care to maintain the whiteness we had when younger. The enamel on older teeth becomes less porous through time, or stained from tobacco, food, coffee, wine and bacteria.

To remove stains or just whiten teeth color for cosmetic reasons, people often employ the use of tooth whitening methods at a dentists, or tooth whitening products such as a whitening toothpaste. Tooth whitening methods and over-the-counter products both use oxidizers, which applied regularly over time, will bleach and remove discoloration. Hydrogen peroxide is regarded as the best example of an oxidizer. Oxidizers cross the enamel to bleach stains that reside in both the enamel layer and the dentine layer under it.

Tooth whitening can be achieved in two ways and if you're interested in lightening the color of your teeth, you should become familiar with both. First, teeth color may be lightened by repeatedly covering the enamel with high concentrations of an oxidizing agent. This is the fastest way to obtain a set of white teeth, however because the dosage of bleach is very high, users run the risk of burning soft tissues in and around the mouth. This burning is actually chemical burning occuring from carbamide peroxide (the oxidizing agent). This agent should not be used on teeth for long periods of time.

The second way to whiten teeth is to secure a less potent dosage of an oxidizing agent over the teeth for longer periods of time (like overnight for example). This chemical is secured in one place with a mouth-guard and because the chemical is less potent than that used for short periods of time, it's much safer.

In addition to the potential damage caused to soft tissues, other events could happened that surprise both dentists and recipients of tooth whitening procedures. Some stains simply can't be removed by tooth whitening methods or products. Tooth whitening may also inadvertently bring out existing white spots. Not all recipients of tooth whitening methods accept the process in a healthy way. Some teeth become sensitive after the process while some peoples teeth can actually become darker. In an effort to make tooth whitening a quicker process, dentists often employ the use of light as a bleaching accelerator, however studies have shown that this procedure can lose its effect thirty days after treatment.

Recent reports have even claimed that tooth whitening can be dangerous and some products have been removed from sale. In Europe, some American tooth whitening methods and products have even been banned altogether.

You should look into all the alternatives yourself and make your own decisions to see if it's something you want to do.