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Teeth Whitening
For example, some stains can be caused by exposure to too much fluoride as a child while teeth are developing. Other causes include tetracycline antibiotics taken during the second half of pregnancy or given to children 8 years old or younger when the teeth are still developing. Tooth whitening is most effective on surface stains caused by age, foods or drinks.
As the active ingredient in the gel, carbamide peroxide, is broken down, oxygen enters the enamel and bleaches the colored substances. The structure of the tooth is not changed; only the tooth is made lighter and whiter. Fillings, Crowns, and Bonding will not lighten. Teeth whitening is most commonly used to whiten yellowing or stained teeth due to aging, tobacco, tea and coffee. These stains reside on the surface of the teeth. It is also possible to have stains that are inside the tooth.
Superficial teeth stains can be addressed by whitening toothpastes. However, if the stain is deep into the tooth, then more powerful bleaching agents are required. There are home kits for this as well as professional offices setup. In these cases, the success of the whitening progress is a function of the darkness of the tooth, the frequency and duration of the bleaching application and the strength of the bleaching application itself. The bleach can upset the gum tissue which is why a custom tooth tray is so important to deliver a much bleaching agent to the tooth while reducing the amount of gum tissue contact. To summarize, tooth whitening toothpaste can remove stains on the outside of the teeth. For deeper stains, a whitening gel is placed in a tray that fits over your teeth.