Why is Teeth Whitening Needed?

Nowadays, everyone wants to have a bright, white, beautiful smile. Thanks to technological advancements in the field of dentistry, this is much more doable than ever before. Whereas years ago only the rich could afford to indulge in teeth whitening procedures, newer—and better—techniques have been developed over the last several years, enabling anyone interested in a brighter smile to obtain the whiter teeth they desire.

Teeth whitening is really a process of removing stains from the teeth. Over the years, the enamel of a person’s teeth—the white covering of the teeth—begins to develop cracks through normal chewing. These cracks begin to fill up with stains and debris, giving teeth a dull, off-white or yellowish appearance. Stains and debris can also enter the spaces between the crystalline enamel rods in the teeth, giving the same effect.

This happens to everyone, although people with some habits tend to see their teeth losing their whitening more quickly. For instance, coffee and tea drinkers notice their teeth becoming stained more quickly, as do smokers and tobacco users.

Teeth whitening procedures work to remove the stains and debris from the cracks and crystalline enamel rods of the teeth, leaving the teeth looking bright and white. After the procedure, the cracks and rods fill back up with either saliva or begin again to fill with stains and debris—this is why teeth whitening treatments are not permanent solutions.

There are two types of stains, both of which can be removed by some type of teeth whitening procedures:

Extrinsic stains: These are the stains on the surface of the teeth. Coffee and tea stains are types of extrinsic stains, as are tobacco stains. These teeth stains can sometimes be removed by brushing, although more stubborn stains will require teeth whitening treatments. If left untreated, extrinsic stains can begin to penetrate the dentin (the tooth’s core material), requiring stronger methods of teeth whitening for removal.

Intrinsic stains: These stains are ones that have formed on the interior of the teeth due to trauma, aging, or excessive fluoride use. Intrinsic stains are much more difficult to remove than extrinsic stains; however, there are teeth whitening procedures that can take care of these stains. The major difference is that it may take up to several months of treatment to get rid of these types of stains.

Teeth whitening treatments come in several different variations; however, there are two basic types—in-office treatment or at-home treatment.

In-office teeth whitening procedures are, as would be expected, much more expensive than over-the-counter, at-home treatments. However, they can also provide a more significant color change in a shorter period of time than at-home treatment options can.

Some dentists offer take-home teeth whitening kits. While these are not as expensive as in-office treatments and they do not work quite as well as in office procedures, they do tend to work better than over-the-counter kits that can be purchased at stores.

Teeth whitening kits that are available at stores are effective, though—if used properly. They do require longer treatment times and will not whiten as much as office procedures, but they do whiten the teeth to some degree.