How to Do the Teeth Whitening the Right Way

Whitening the teeth is a dental procedure that is often frowned upon by people thinking it has bad long term consequences. Namely, people believe that whitening can destroy the enamel of the teeth making them sensitive and prone to breakage. Is this right? The answer is no. If the procedure is done professionally with quality products, there isn’t any threat to the health of the teeth. Moreover, it is recommended to do the whitening procedure to protect the teeth and give them the brightness they deserved. Let’s go over the details.

What is Teeth Whitening?

Teeth whitening is a procedure that involves the application of a tooth whitening gel that contains from 25-40% hydrogen peroxide. Then, for about three 20-minute intervals, the teeth are heated with a special heating lamp. This, of course, is done in the dentist’s office. However, the procedure can be done at home as well, but this way the application of the teeth whitening gel is a bit different. Usually, patients are advised by their dentists how to apply the whitening gel depending on the condition of their teeth as well as the type of gel they are using.

Here are some different methods of whitening the teeth

In-office Bleaching. This is the one performed by dentists in their office. The procedure usually finishes after an hour. It is probably the most effective method as it is strictly controlled by the dentist and gives immediate results. But, guess what? It is also the most expensive procedure out there. Just think of all the white pearly Hollywood smiles and the thousands of dollars spent on them.

Trays and Gels. This method is the most usual one for teeth whitening at home. It is an effective way of bleaching the teeth even though it takes longer to achieve results. The gels come with a different percentage of peroxide thus enabling different shades of whitening. You can get them from your dentist or buy them over the counter. There are many different brands of teeth whitening gels you can choose from. Colgate, Opalescence, GoSmile and so on.

Whitening Strips. Another teeth whitening method is bleaching with strips. They are easily found in every drug store across the country, they are fairly cheap and again, the results depend largely on the percent of peroxide in the formula.

Whitening Toothpaste. These are not like the regular toothpastes as they have a more abrasive formula that is specially made to remove the stains on the teeth. What they do, in fact, is clean the teeth deep with the help of the polishing agents and other chemicals. This being said, they just help clean the teeth profoundly and give them the shine they deserve instead of bleaching them in reality.

How Can You Whiten the Teeth Safely ?

The most important thing is to follow your dentist’s advice to the word. They will perform an oral examination and evaluate your teeth’s condition and only then prescribe you the dosage of peroxide you need to apply to your teeth. Other things you need to do is avoid homemade products that are said to bleach the teeth. Such remedies are lemon and baking soda, brushing with strawberries, or using activated charcoal. In addition, the mixture of sea salt and cider vinegar or wood ash can irreversibly damage your teeth. You should use only safe and secure products to perform the whitening at home and this means using products that are recommended by the dental association.

How to Elongate the Effect of Whitening?

You can’t prevent the teeth discoloration from happening but there is something you can do – keep the teeth healthy with the following healthy tricks and practices. One of these is eating broccoli, cauliflower, and other coarse vegetables because they are fiber-abundant and need to be chewed longer. In the process of chewing you produce saliva which is breaking down the stains on the teeth.

Next, eating pineapple is another great idea as it has a lot of bromelain, which is an anti-inflammatory compound that removes surface stains from teeth. Then, dairy products have a lot of calcium which strengthens the teeth and they also contain lactic acid which removes stains on the surface of the teeth. Finally, nuts and seeds exfoliate the teeth in the best way possible. Because their surface texture is abrasive it helps clean stains and discoloration.

All Things Considered

Whitening the teeth can be a perfectly safe procedure if you are doing it strictly following the instructions or, if you leave it to the pros, make sure you trust your dentist and their expertise. An important note about teeth whitening is that you shouldn’t overdo it.  It won’t bring you faster results and you will only risk damaging the teeth.