Teeth darken with age. The older you are, the more likely you are to have less than perfect teeth. Other causes of darkening teeth are drinking coffee, tea or soda, smoking, tooth erosion due to acid reflux.
Whitening toothpaste does work to a point. However, the toothpaste will only lighten the outer layers of the tooth enamel, leaving the undercoating still discolored.
Bleaching
There are two types of bleaching available. The tray method – your teeth are encased in a specially made tray filled with whitening gel for a period of me. The laser method – your dentist will coat your teeth in a hydrogen peroxide solution and speed up the action of the solution by shining a laser on your teeth.
Comparing Methods
Some dentists claim the laser method is more effective than the tray; however, there is no clinical evidence of this. Both treatments will run around $500. The difference is you get to keep the trays you have made and the whitening gel as well, so a year later you can re-treat yourself without having to go to the dentist again–whereas with new stains that occur aer the laser treatment you’ll need to visit the dentist again.
At-Home Techniques
Store-bought cleaners have notoriously weaker cleaning agents than the ones dentists use. However, they also cost a lot less, and you can use them a lot more often. The recommended treatment is one to 14 days, and if you simply continue using the at-home techniques you could see an improvement. Combine this with a whitening toothpaste and you may achieve results similar to what you would get at the dentist’s office.
For information on hypersensitivity concerns visit: hp://www.prevenon.com/health/health/healthconcerns/ the-dangers-of-teeth-whitening/arcle/2 8eb88dc78803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/
