How to whiten your teeth

 It has become widely accepted that our teeth can be effectively whitened by means of bleaching but of course it’s necessary to do this safely. 

 
  As we get older our teeth tend to darken naturally to some degree, and to this is added the effects of habits such as smoking, or drinking regular amounts of tea, coffee and red wine. These can not only cause surface staining of the teeth but also gradually permeate into the body of teeth, producing permanent discolouration.   

 In America where everybody wants to have that gleaming Hollywood smile there are many dentists offering teeth whitening in the surgery (they call it an office) usually a gel which releases hydrogen peroxide. The process is speeded up by using a strong light source which increases the rate of hydrogen peroxide release. Since the gel can cause chemical burns considerable care is needed to protect the gums and lips. To this end the dentist uses a rubber protective layer over the gums called a rubber dam, and makes sure that the lips are well retracted.. 

 When teeth whitening is done this way it can achieve a lightening effect of up to five times on a colour chart which is used to show the degree of efficiency, and all within an hour or so. 

 This “power” whitening process is extremely easy to have done, very effective, and is therefore understandably very popular. The only possible disadvantage is that some sensitivity to hot and cold can often occur in the teeth after treatment but fortunately this usually soon disappears. If you have sensitive teeth anyway, however, then it may not be such a good idea to have this done. There is also a slight possibility that the bleaching process can cause damage to the pulp of one or more teeth and that the tooth may eventually die off, probably some considerable time later. If a tooth dies it becomes discoloured which is precisely what you don’t want. However the risk is considered slight or negligible by most dentists, especially if the gel is not too concentrated. 

 The alternative to in-office whitening is home bleaching and this can be carried out by any careful adult using a reputable kit that can be bought online or locally. The kit normally contains several plastic tubes or syringes of bleaching gel, some plastic mouth trays, and a shade guide so that you can measure your progress. 

typical home kit mouth tray

 The strength of the gel varies depending on the product and where it’s purchased. In Europe the EU has restricted the concentration quite severely for public safety reasons but stronger products are obtainable online.   

 This method is safe provided you follow the instructions, but, unless the plastic mouth tray is close fitting there is likely to be some spill-over of gel which might cause some temporary gum inflammation or if swallowed a sore throat for a while. It is extremely unlikely that you would swallow enough gel to cause serious internal harm. 

 Some products include a mouldable mouth tray with a plastic that softens using hot water but the degree of fit is very variable and never that good. A much closer fit of mouth tray can be achieved by asking your dentist for a custom tray which is made by vacuum forming in a laboratory from impressions taken of your teeth. This of course increases the cost but a close fitting tray requires much less gel to be effective and avoids the spill-over so it can even be worn over night during sleep. Most people however tend to use this method at home just wearing the tray of gel for a few hours every evening whilst watching TV. 

custom tray

 The results of this method can be as good as that of power whitening but can take two or three weeks to achieve. Because the gel is less concentrated though, there is much less risk of damage to the pulp or “nerve” of the teeth and this is I think a major advantage.
 Non-peroxide gels have been developed to take the place of carbamide peroxide ones, especially for home use, but they are not as effective by any means and results can be variable. 

  Many people successfully improve their smile by whitening their teeth with a reputable home kit, especially since it is easy and so much less expensive than having a dentist do it.  It is not, by the way, such a good idea to try to whiten your teeth with lemon or lime juice as is suggested on some internet websites, since, at best this only dehydrates the teeth making them appear lighter temporarily, but at worst causes softening and gradual loss of enamel substance due to the acidity and this  leads to sensitivity.