How Do Teeth Whitening Procedures Work?

Teeth whitening has become a big business in the past twenty years with more at-home products available and plenty of commercial time dedicated to having the perfect 'pearly white' set of teeth. You might have whitening toothpaste in your bathroom, maybe you've used teeth whitening strips or you could have even had a professional whitening done by your dentist - but do you know how teeth whitening products work?

How do teeth 'yellow'?

One of the first questions you might ask is how our teeth get so yellow in the first place. As we go through lives eating, drinking and, hopefully-not-but-sometimes, smoking, a layer builds up over the enamel of our teeth. Over years this layer, which can usually be scraped away through brushing and treatment by your dentist, will start to get into the slightly porous enamel below it. While these 'stains' on the enamel aren't harmful, they are colour changing and considered quite unattractive.

What do teeth whiteners do?

With the active ingredient of either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, teeth whiteners work themselves deep into the tooth enamel where they break apart these built up stains. Oxidation helps loosen what has made its way into the layer of enamel and the peroxide works as a whitening ingredient - just as it does when used to bleach hair.

What kind of tooth whitener is right for me?

There is a range of options when it comes to whitening; all of them offer different effectiveness.

Whitening toothpaste is one of the most common products that aim to help whiten teeth. The small amount of bleaching ingredients in the toothpaste mean that you'll need to brush consistently and let the toothpaste remain on the teeth for longer to see results.

Whitening kits come in the form of strips, trays or pastes that promise results far faster than toothpaste does. You'll be required to apply the treatment for up to an hour each day but you'll end up with noticeably whiter teeth within a fortnight.

Professional whitening at your cosmetic dentist's office is the fastest way to see whiter teeth. Advanced bleaching systems and laser whitening treatments are all options that can see results within the hour. It's a little bit more expensive, but you'll be satisfied with how it turns out when you have it done professionally.

Care for your teeth and whiten using your preferred method for the smile you've always wanted. Talk to your dentist about professional whitening treatments and switch to a whitening toothpaste next time your tube runs out.