Teeth whitening
By DR Mark Dohald | Principle Dental Officer
5 minute read |
Published 23 September 2024
There are a variety of ways in which teeth become stained. Drinking coffee, tea, red wine and soft drink. Smoking and some mouthwashes can also cause stains on your teeth.
Poor oral hygiene can contribute to the surface discolouration of teeth and certain medications such as tetracycline antibiotics may cause staining within the tooth itself as it forms, which may be unable to be removed.
Removing Teeth Stains at Home
In milder cases of teeth discoloration, you may be able to use at home remedies to whiten your teeth.
Whitening Toothpastes - Some whitening toothpastes contain hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide works by removing extrinsic and intrinsic stains. Other whitening toothpastes use high cleaning silica, which helps to remove surface stains on the outer layer of the teeth. Talk to your dentist about whether using a whitening toothpaste is right for you. Care needs to be taken when using these products as they can cause enamel wear, resulting in a darker tooth with dentine shining through. Over the counter whitening products that are found in toothpaste are not strong enough to improve the shade of your enamel, so these types of products might not work for your needs.
Whitening Pens - Whitening pens are another at home tooth whitening option. They are quick, easy and don't leave you with a mess to clean up. These work best for surface stains but are unlikely to improve the shade of your enamel.
Teeth Whitening Gel - Teeth whitening gels are available from your dentist. Some teeth whitening gels contain peroxide-based bleaching agents, but in higher doses than in whitening toothpastes. Since the gel has higher amounts of peroxide, you’ll need a custom fitted tray for use. This ensures that the hydrogen peroxide gel stays on and around the tooth surface only, and does not come in contact with the oral soft tissues. Your dentist can create custom fit trays for you. Custom trays are more effective and protect your soft tissues from potential trauma caused by hydrogen peroxide.
Teeth Whitening Strips - This at-home method uses whitening gel but it is pre-applied to strips for easy application without a tray. Whitening strips and gels may cause tooth sensitivity because of the amounts of hydrogen peroxide used. A sensitive toothpaste can help reduce this. Be sure to talk to your dentist to find out if teeth whitening strips are right for you.
If at home remedies are not delivering results you could consider professional whitening.
In surgery bleaching
Talk to your dentist about professional cleaning and in-office whitening products to remove stains from your teeth. If you're looking for a significant change in the colour of your teeth, you will need professional-grade whitening.
Your dental practitioner can provide treatment that penetrates deep into the enamel and removes years of stains with a powerful bleaching agent to help you achieve your desired result.
