Tooth Whitening Basics

A dazzling white smile is something that everyone would like to have and that many Denver dentists can provide. As a result, many people think nothing of spending money and time to achieve the "perfect" smile. A person wishing to have that "perfect" smile can choose a do-it-yourself tooth whitening kit from the neighborhood pharmacy or store or visit their family dentist.

Tooth whitening involves the use of, normally, two chemicals - hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. The strength and effectiveness of the chemicals are different in these two materials. The use of the stronger hydrogen peroxide gel needs to be monitored and is normally used by dentists. The do-it-yourself kits contain the much less reactive carbamide gel.

What happens to discolor our teeth? Many people don’t engaged in the most harmful habits - drinking tea or coffee, smoking, or grinding their teeth - but still experience discoloration of their teeth as they grow old. Everyone is born with an interior tooth color that will slowly emerge through the loss of enamel, and any overuse of fluoride or experiencing of trauma will cause an alteration in tooth color. Such discoloration or staining is referred to as “intrinsic staining”.

Both types of stains are treatable, but the age of the patient and the level of staining play a large role in the final results.

When this treatment is done by a qualified professional, fifteen to twenty minutes should be expected. The treatment begins with the patient wearing a mouth guard and then having a "rubber guard" painted on the gums. The peroxide gel is then spread over the teeth, and all it takes is a few minutes for the whitening process to be done. Most patients are provided with take-home kits to maintain their newly brightened teeth, or to address stains that were not entirely eliminated.

Denver dentists sometimes sell take home kits with the requisite tools to the patient, but the peroxide gel provided with the kit is not as strong as the one used in the dental office. Such a choice can often save a patient a great deal of money, but it may not provide the same quick and powerful results as those possibly achieved by the dentist.

The take-home tooth whitening kits, though, generally produce very good results over the course of a week. But this easy-to-use and cheaper alternative cannot remove all intrinsic or deeper discoloration.