Teeth Whitening Does It Work

When it comes to the teeth things are very complicated especially when we discuss teeth whitening and how white the teeth will change.

Basically there are several factors that influence the changes to our teeth when we embark on a teeth whitening program. When people see the TV or famous models in the magazines we just expect our teeth to get that white after we have a whitening treatment but the truth is somewhat different.

Factors that control how white the teeth will whiten

Dentin - under the enamel we have the dentin and some of us are blessed with very white coloured dentin so when these people remove the staining in the pores of the enamel then it shows a very white coloured teeth as the dentin tends to show through the underlying colour. For most their natural dentin colour is cream so the teeth will get whiter but unlikely to end up like Simon Cowell's!

Deep staining - if the teeth have accumulated very deep staining over a long period of time there can be two scenarios. Firstly the staining wills it very deep in the pores of the enamel and it can be removed but requires a long and ongoing treatments to remove. Secondly if the staining has penetrated through the enamel it is often too late for teeth whitening. This cannot be seen when viewing the teeth as they will appear just stained but in reality the staining has leaked to the dentin and this cannot be changed with a whitening program.

Pores of the Enamel - How quickly and efficiently the pores of the enamel will open will depend on how much staining will be removed from the enamel. We know everyone's teeth can be stained but this tends to happen over a long period of time whereas when we have our teeth whitened we need the pores to open to allow this to work.

Types of staining - Generally we have two types of staining. External staining is easier to remove as this can be removed by the home kits as they tend to use lower strength gels and these tackle the external staining caused by smoking, cola and even green vegetables as an example.

Internal staining is more difficult to remove and it is deeper and typically has been built up over a long period of time. Deeper staining is cuased by tea, coffee, red wine and curries to name a few.

Teeth whitening is not a exact science but the good news is that is will always work but to what level is going to depend on some or all of the factors above.

Seeing your dentist regularly and having a hygienist do a scale and polish on your teeth will enhance your smile as best as possible.

Sometimes people say that will change their diet after teeth whitening whether that is giving up smoking or red wine but the trick with teeth whitening is to think about it as a long term program and have the teeth whitened every year or so to maintain the white look.

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