Often the distinction between a good smile and a great smile is the whiteness of the teeth. Over time most teeth typically lose their luster and brightness because they accumulate stains made by foods and beverages. New whitening agents can take away these stains without harming your teeth.
There are two classes of dental stains. For intrinsic stain, the teeth’s discoloration is caused from the “inside” by “internal” agents such tetracycline and fluoride. In contrast, in extrinsic stain, the teeth’s discoloration is caused from the “outside” by “external” agents such as tea, coffee, and tobacco. Intrinsic stains are harder to remove than extrinsic stain. I recommend bonding and veneers treatment for intrinsic stains and bleaching for extrinsic stain.
By far the best and fastest bleaching solutions are offered by your dentist. During a typical whitening procedure, your dentist will fabricate a custom tray to hold whitening gel against your teeth. You take the trays home and wear the gel-filled trays each night or for several hours during the day for several weeks.
Dentists can also bleach teeth in the office. This is called power bleaching or laser bleaching. Both techniques work equally well and are offered both as a “jump start” prior to home whitening and as a separate “stand alone” procedure.
While you can get over-the-counter whitening kits, they usually aren’t as effective as professional whitening procedures. Because the over-the-counter trays are not custom fitted, the whitening agent may leak out and irritate your gums. Want a whiter smile? Ask your dentist about dental whitening.
Besides, you need a dental evaluation prior to whitening your teeth for several reasons: