What is the Best Way to Whiten Your Teeth?

What is tooth discoloration?

The natural white color of the teeth may change due to stains on the teeth surfaces, or due to changes in the tooth structure. Dentists basically divide tooth discoloration into 3 different categories. These categories can be listed as follows:

Extrinsic coloration; In this form of discoloration, the enamel layer of the tooth becomes colored mainly due to coffee, wine, cola and other colored foods and beverages. Smoking also causes external stains.

Intrinsic coloration; In this type of coloration, the inner dentin layer of the tooth undergoes a color change. The dentin layer becomes black or yellow. The reasons for this may include excessive fluoride use in childhood and the use of tetracycline antibiotics during pregnancy.

Age-related discoloration; This form of coloration occurs due to a combination of internal and external factors. Apart from the external stains caused by food and smoking, dentin also turns yellow over time. The enamel layer covering the tooth gets thinner over time and the dentin becomes visible. Broken teeth or blows to the teeth can also cause discoloration.

What are tooth discoloration treatments?

Tooth discoloration is usually reversed by professional teeth whitening treatments applied to the enamel layer of the tooth. Applying a method called office-type teeth whitening, namely “Power Bleaching“, dentists use a gel that whitens the teeth in 30 minutes to 45 minutes. This process however may take several sessions to complete.

It is possible to whiten teeth at home with the whitening gel recommended by dentists. However, it should be noted that at-home teeth whitening gels may not be as effective as the whitening gels used by dentists, so the home teeth whitening process may take longer time, ranging from 3 weeks to 4 weeks to see any results. Toothpastes containing whitening elements can remove minor stains, but are not very effective for deep and/or severe teeth discolorations.

If the patient has had root canal treatment and tooth discoloration has occurred afterwards, the dentist may use a whitening agent inside the tooth.

In cases of the tooth being broken or the teeth whitening treatment not working, the dentist may prefer to cover the darkened area of the tooth with a porcelain layer instead.

What are the causes of tooth discoloration?

The factors that cause discoloration in the outer surfaces of the tooth can be listed as follows;

Food residues,
Beverages, like cola, wine,

Cigarettes and tobacco products,
Dyed chemical products residue.
Poor oral hygiene
Unhealthy daily eating habits
Scaling of plaque
Bacteria and fungi
Excessive tea and coffee consumption
Medicines used to treat certain diseases
Some diseases and conditions that can discolor the teeth.

These discolorations, which can be seen in many colors in young people’s teeth, can usually be seen in adults as brown, gray or black. To counter these decolorations, applying protective methods is advisable. Abandoning some unhealthy habits, brushing the teeth regularly, checking up with the dentist regularly, removing plaque and tartar, and cleaning devices are some of the recommended methods to reverse and decrease the effect of discoloration.