Teeth Whitening: Is It Safe?
Your teeth may develop stains or become discolored for many reasons. You can safely make your teeth brighter and whiter if you choose to with several available options. You can visit your dentist for in-office whitening treatments or if you prefer at-home whitening products. Some side effects of whitening products can be expected, but most are safe to use as long as you follow the instructions on the product.
What Is the Reason for Discoloration of the Teeth?
Several reasons exist for this phenomenon which are described below:
Extrinsic Discoloration
Extrinsic discoloration is caused by the foods, beverages, and stains left behind by your smoking habits. These stains only affect the exterior part of your teeth, and the culprits for the staining are coffee, tea, red wine, foods with dyes, and tobacco. This type of discoloration can be treated with whitening toothpaste to target the exterior stains on the teeth.
Intrinsic Discoloration
Intrinsic discoloration is caused from within the tooth. This could be a result of the use of medication, tooth trauma, aging, infection, and childhood illness. Professional teeth whitening treatments using bleaching agents are required to treat intrinsic discoloration to get the whiteness desired.
The Options for Teeth Whitening
If you want to whiten your teeth, you can find many methods and products on the market to do so. They could leave you confused about what to use and the safety of the products.
Three general categories of whitening methods are:
- Administered by your dentist.
- Dispensed by your dentist for use at home.
- Obtained over-the-counter or prepared at home without being supervised by your dentist.
You may choose a particular method for the whitening depending on one or more factors mentioned below:
- The kind of discoloration affecting your teeth.
- The cost of the treatment method.
- The type of treatment.
- Your age, especially for children.
- Your dental history, including the kind of restorations you have.
It will help if you discuss the whitening method with your dentist before attempting one. Your dentist can recommend a treatment plan that can address your needs the best. You may discuss different approaches to whiten your teeth with the dental professional.
You must remember that the time taken to whiten your teeth will depend on the type of discoloration affecting you and the method you have chosen to improve their appearance.
Teeth Whitening Administered by a Dentist
The dentist’s office in Rutherford, New Jersey, uses different methods to whiten your teeth either in the office or at home. Generally, they prefer using bleach with carbamide peroxide, which breaks down to hydrogen peroxide and urea and targets the color of the tooth in a chemical reaction. This is a method to whiten teeth. The in-office treatment provided by the dentists at this clinic is beneficial as it works fast and lasts longer. You may need an hour’s treatment or several visits to the office for whitening your teeth. The potency of the hydrogen peroxide applied to your teeth is higher than the products you use at home. In-office treatments are also beneficial if you are affected by receding gums and abfraction lesions.
Some dentists are using ultraviolet light after applying the whitening product to speed the process, but the method has not been proven as effective.
At-Home Treatments Dispensed by the Dentist
The dentist’s office in Rutherford, New Jersey, can also help you to whiten your teeth at home. They will develop custom-made trays to fit into your mouth, and all you need to do is add a gel to it and wear the tray 30 minutes to an hour every day or as recommended by the dental office for a few weeks for the whitening.
Teeth Whitening Products and Other At-Home Options
Over-the-counter whitening products to help with stained teeth have become extremely popular because of the demand for teeth whitening. Unfortunately, these products have little or no carbamide peroxide and are therefore ineffective if you have intrinsic stains on your teeth and may need a longer time to whiten your teeth. Some over-the-counter products have been approved by the ADA, and these are safe to use as long as you make proper decisions when purchasing them.
You can also consider whitening strips and toothpaste but must understand they will take longer to deliver effective results than professional teeth whitening treatments provided by dentists. Therefore you need to discuss the treatment options with your dentist rather than decide independently and choose a method that may be unsuitable for your teeth.