How does whitening affect your oral health?

Numerous myths about teeth whitening are floating on the Internet today, and these myths come with many questions.

• Is whitening not good for your enamel?
• Are there any natural remedies for it?
• Should I whiten my teeth at a dental clinic or at home?
• Should I apply whitening strips or whitening toothpaste?

Find all answer to your questions at Mornington Peninsula Dentist….

How and why do teeth turn yellow?

It’s a fact that teeth lose some of their pearly white shine due to stains from coffee, soda, and tea, but this can be easily removed with regular brushing or trip to your dentist.
However, the most actual reason for yellow teeth is a yellowy core called dentin that is underneath the outside layer of enamel. When this yellowy layer gets closer to the surface due to acidic foods, scuffs or natural aging or even genetics, your teeth appear more and more yellow.

What are the two methods to whiten teeth?

1. Using bleaching ingredients product that change the color of your yellowy dentin tooth by penetrating through the enamel.
2. Abrasive methods that remove the surface stains on the top of your enamel such as “whitening” toothpaste, “whitening” gum, and “whitening” mouthwash.

Which one should be considered?

Method is not only more effective and long lasting, it is far less damaging too if done correctly.
The core problem with Method-2 abrasive based whitening is that it only works on surface stains and do anything to affect your yellowy dentin, below the surface. Also if it is used incorrectly, you can actually damage the enamel.

Should I opt for whitening toothpaste? (No!)

Very few dentists recommend ANY type of whitening toothpastes since they have very little to no effect since they remove only surface stains with physical abrasives. Also when rubbed harder on teeth, they can be damaging too.

Should I use whitening strips?

Bleaching products contain chemicals such as carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide, hence one should be prepared for side effects like tooth sensitivity. Use custom whitening trays instead of strips to avoid direct contact with your gums and reach the curves of your teeth. On the whole, they are far more effective than toothpastes and use on your dentist’s advice.

What are the natural whitening remedies?

Using Hydrogen peroxide or fruit like lemons or strawberries simply doesn’t work and will also hurt your teeth. These acids eat away your teeth enamel and can do permanent damage to your teeth if you take this route.

Should I go for professional whitening?

Professional whitening may sound the better option, but Professional whitening uses 25 to 40 percent hydrogen peroxide and there is no long-term benefit with these light-activated systems.

So what’s the best and safest way for teeth whitening?

The safest way to whiten your smile u is to use whitening strips or gel, slowly as directed by your dentist. Extensively bleaching your teeth can cause damage to your enamel, but controlled use should not affect your enamel.

Mornington Peninsula Dentist recommends using a low potency of whitening gel over several weeks time to achieve a sparkling whiter smile.