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Whitening Your Teeth At Home:
Whitening your teeth at home is the best way to maintain a nice smile.
Stained teeth may easily ruin your beautiful smile and teeth stains
can be very embarrassing and difficult to remove if not treated in time.
Teeth discoloration may be caused by different factors
but fortunately there are great whitening products that you can use at home
to whiten your teeth effectively.
Nowadays there are many products that are
specially developed to maintain the whiteness of your teeth,
such as – whitening toothpaste, whitening pens, gums,
whitening strips and mouthwashes.
What causes teeth discoloration?
The natural aging process, some foods, bad habits like smoking,
drinking alcohol, drinking too much soft drinks, poor oral hygiene,
even some medications can cause tooth discolorations and stains.
Drinking too much coffee, tea, red wine, smoking can easily stain your teeth
if you don’t take a proper care of them. Even some medications can also
affect the color of your teeth (antibiotics for example).
Once you get 40 you may notice that your teeth become darker and darker
but it’s something natural and normal – simply due to the aging process.
As we age the outer layer of enamel on the teeth gets worn away,
revealing the yellow color of dentin. Smoking and eating certain
foods (strawberries, blackberries for example ) usually stain only the surface
of the teeth but with aging the staining and the discoloration may be more visible.
How To Whiten Your Teeth At Home:
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Whitening toothpastes: are very effective in maintaining a bright smile.
They remove stains on teeth and improve the overall appearance
of your teeth and the best thing is that they don’t affect their natural color.
Whitening toothpastes can lighten your tooth’s color by one or two
shades, depending on the discoloration. Unlike the whitening gels
used in the dentist’s office, they don’t contain bleach – just mild
abrasive chemicals to remove surface stains. Some brands offer
whitening toothpastes with polishing agents and fluoride that protects
your teeth against tooth decay and further stains. Whitening toothpastes
should be used twice a day for approximately two months to achieve best results.
Don’t use whitening toothpaste for more than two months,
otherwise you may destroy tooth enamel.
At-home teeth whitening kits: contain bleaching gel (peroxide gel)
and mouth trays. The gel contains from 1 to 10 percent carbamide peroxide
to bleach your teeth as well as sodium hydroxide and glycerin.
Using whitening kit is similar than having your teeth whitened
at the dentist’s office but fortunately it’s much less expensive.
The trays included in the kit must be applied first on the upper teeth
and then on the lower teeth. Other whitening kits include also
whitening strips that you should apply on the surface of your teeth.
The gel should be first applied to the tray and then inserted into the mouth
and over the teeth. The tray usually shouldn’t be left in place for more
than 30 minutes, depending on the percentage of peroxide it contains.
Once the tray is placed in your mouth the bleaching ingredients
will penetrate porous tooth enamel and will whiten away any discolorations.
The gel won’t change the tooth’s structure, it will just lighten the tooth enamel.
The results usually become apparent after the first treatments,
but the most noticeable effect will become evident after about 3-5 treatments.
You should follow the instructions written on the box and pay special attention
to the precautionary statements. Although most of the people that use
whitening kits to bleach their teeth don’t experience any discomfort
during the treatments, some people may experience tooth sensitivity
a few days after the bleaching, but it should disappear after a day or two.
At-home whitening kits usually require several times of application for best results.
Whitening strips: are a common type of at-home teeth whitening as they
lighten teeth effectively and are easy to use and convenient.
Whitening strips are also effective in maintaining a bright smile and healthy teeth.
They effectively remove surface stains, but they also protect the enamel
from build-up of everyday stains. Most of the whitening strips are coated
with a bleaching gel (peroxide-based gel) that lightens the teeth
in one or two shades if used regularly. Like the whitening toothpastes,
the whitening strips don’t change the tooth’s structure. The strips are
easy to apply and can be used twice a day for gradual whitening.
Most of the whitening strips shouldn’t be left on for more than 5-10 minutes,
otherwise it may result in tooth sensitivity or gum discomfort.
The result usually becomes apparent after the first days of usage
and can last up for 2-3 months.
For more info, download Whitening Your Teeth At Home, a free ebook.
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