Teeth Whitening Options and Which is Best for You
When your teeth are stained, it can be embarrassing.
You feel self-conscious every time you start to laugh because you think the people around you will notice. Every time someone takes a picture of you, you make it a point to keep your mouth closed when you smile.
Luckily, today’s dental technology makes it so that you never have to hide your smile. There are several teeth whitening options you can choose from that are easy to use and will transform the way you feel about your smile. You just have to know which one is right for you.
How Teeth Whitening Works
Teeth whitening options tend to have one thing in common: they use peroxide to bleach your teeth. This generally comes from either carbamide or hydrogen peroxide. You can either get over-the-counter options or go to your dentist. Whatever you choose depends on the nature of the stains, which are either extrinsic or intrinsic.
Extrinsic stains take place on the outside layer of your teeth. They are usually there because of environmental factors like smoking and coffee.
Intrinsic stains take place inside your teeth and are caused by things like enamel erosion due to age, antibiotics, and extreme fluoride exposure.
It is important to note that these options only work for real teeth. Dentures are made from plastic and should not be bleached unless directed by a prosthodontist or dentist.
Whitening Toothpaste
This is the best option if your stains are only extrinsic. It is relatively painless and can cost less than $10. If you are already brushing your teeth every day, there aren’t any extra steps you have to take. Keep doing what you’re doing but with a different toothpaste.
Whitening Strips
Whitening strips are another over-the-counter option, and this one does both extrinsic and intrinsic cleaning. You just place a strip on your teeth according to the directions. The peroxide hits the enamel and goes deeper until it bleaches pigmented molecules called chromogens.
While these can offer a deeper whitening than toothpaste, they may not do the trick for everyone. They are only good for small touch-ups. If your stains are more extreme, there is one other option.
Visit Your Dentist
There are a few things your dentist can do. One of them is a gel that contains peroxide. Your dentist will either apply it on your teeth for you, or you will take it home to put on yourself. In some cases, the dentist may accompany the gel with light to make the bleaching process quicker.
Other techniques a dentist might use include rubber-cup prophylaxis which requires a rubber cup to apply an abrasive paste to the teeth or enamel microabrasion which requires an abrasive acidic gel is used to take out outer layers from the surface of the enamel.
If you are looking for dentists in Elko, Nevada who could help with teeth whitening, consider the AnyDay Dental team. Our experienced staff will get you the white smile you’ve been looking for.