How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
Garden City / Boise, ID
 Many patient’s find the vastness of teeth whitening products to be overwhelming, there are so many store bought products and services provided in our office. How teeth whitening works, and what works, can leave you with questions. Our team at Water's Edge Dental is happy to answer your questions and provide information on products that we are aware of. Whiter teeth is one of the easiest ways to make a huge impact on your smile.
Teeth whitening is done through a bleaching agent, usually carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Though all whitening products contain this bleaching agent, the percentages can exceedingly vary. Most of the toothpaste, rinses and gum products, contain a very low level of whitening power. This means that they will work, but the results will be very slight and can take a long period. Specific tooth whitening store-bought gels and pastes will have more strength, but their power can not compare to the prescription strength that we can prescribe.
Different Types of Stains
Before whitening your teeth, you should know that there are different types of stains, namely intrinsic stains, and extrinsic stains. Teeth whitening cannot remove intrinsic stains, which are stains that are penetrated deeper inside the tooth.
Intrinsic stains include:
| • |
Fluorosis: Fluorosis is a condition that occurs when teeth are exposed to too much fluoride during the tooths development. The stain will appear to be streaks in the tooth. Fluorosis cannot be whitened away, we will have to discuss other treatment, including the placement of dental veneers.
|
| • |
Stains from Medication: There are various medications that can cause intrinsic stains in teeth. Medications including tetracycline antibiotics have been found to cause this deep staining. We can discuss other methods besides whitening to hide this deep-set change in coloring. |
Teeth whitening can reduce and remove extrinsic stains, also known as surface stains.
Extrinsic stains include:
| • |
Tannic Acid Stains: Many of the darker liquids we consume contain tannic acid, including coffee, tea, soda and soy sauce. Tannic acid darkens and stains teeth.
|
| • |
Vibrant Fruit: Bright red berries, including strawberries, blackberries, red wine, tomato sauces and more can stain and darken our teeth. |
Whitening With Us
Having your teeth whitened through our office provides you several great benefits, including control and speed. Whether you are requesting a take-home kit or having your teeth whitened in our office, we can prescribe you a higher dosage than you can buy. Patients love the knowledge of a product they can count on, and we can help.
Take home whitening kits are assembled to fit your needs. With your kit, you can choose when you want to whiten, how long you want to whiten and make touchups as needed.
Whitening in our office provides the patient with quick, controlled, instant results. We apply the very strong dosage of whitening gel and then apply blue laser light to make the product work faster. You will leave with the look you want. |
