Question for dentists: Teeth Whitening?!

Getting Rid of Yellow Teeth

If you have yellow teeth, you’ve probably realized that there is a wide selection of products available for you to try. They include:


Whitening Mouthwash

This is perhaps the easiest method. All you need to do is swish it around your mouth for about a minute. However, these are usually only effective if your teeth are only very mildly stained because the whitening agents are only on your teeth for a short amount of time.


Whitening Toothpaste

There are many brands out there on the market. Again, for mildly stained teeth you might see an effect. These are best used as stain prevention, rather than stain removal.


Paint On Bleach

These over-the-counter bleaching products look almost like nail polish. You simply “paint” your teeth with the bleach and let it sit. These have been shown to work on teeth that are not very badly stained. They can be somewhat messy, and you need to be sure not to miss parts of your teeth or they will be bleached unevenly. Also, some tooth sensitivity and gum discomfort is a common side effect.


Whitening Strips

Working under the same principles as the paint-on bleach, these strips have the whitening agent included right on them. You simply place the strips on your teeth, usually once or twice a day. These can work quite well. They typically cost anywhere from $20 to $50 dollars and your color change should last about a year. Again, you might experience some tooth pain or sensitivity or some pain in your gums from the solution. You should also be careful not to use the strips too often, as overbleaching of your teeth can cause them to look blue. If you have uneven or crooked teeth, strips probably won’t work for you because it will be hard to make sure the strip is evenly covering your teeth. This could cause the color change to appear uneven.


Bleaching Trays

Bleaching trays are given to you by a dentist. They are typically molded to fit your mouth which allows the bleaching agent to more effectively coat each tooth. They also contain a higher concentration of the bleaching agent, so you get a brighter smile quicker. However, you might notice more side effects and you will be required to make at least one trip to the dentist. This is an effective option though, and can be a good option if your teeth are more than mildly stained.


Blue-Light Technology

You can find many of these teeth-whitening salons in malls and office parks around the country. One popular company is Brite-Smile. These procedures use a combination of a hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent and blue-light technology. It takes about an hour, but many claim the effects are dramatic. There are also supposed to be fewer side effects than other methods, and the color change should last a few years. It costs between $400 and $600 dollars in most locations.


Dental Veneers

Veneers are typically made from porcelain and are applied in thin layers on top of the tooth surface. This can be one of the most effective ways to get rid of your yellow teeth. First used to improve the look of movie star’s teeth, veneers have been around for many years. Now anyone can get veneers, but there are some disadvantages. First, a dentist must do them for you, and they typically cost around a thousand dollars per tooth. They also only last around ten to fifteen years, and after that you will need to replace them. This can be quite an expensive option. Most insurance plans will not cover veneers which are done strictly to improve the look of yellow teeth. There are few side effects with veneers, but care must be taken by the dentist to make sure that the veneers fit properly in the mouth and that the bite is adjusted so that they do not become easily chipped.


Home Remedies for Yellow Teeth

There are tons of home remedies that you can use to try to whiten your teeth, although none have yet proven to be successful. Here’s a few:

Rub the white part of an orange peel along your teeth.
Brush your teeth with baking soda.
Using a Q-Tip, dab hydrogen peroxide onto the surface of your teeth, being careful to avoid your gums or you might have irritation.
Strawberry pulp is supposed to have a natural bleaching effect, and it tastes better than baking soda.
Salt can be used to brush your teeth. You can also try mixing salt, baking soda and water together. But be careful, because the salt is very abrasive and could cause mouth pain and weakened enamel.
Rinse your mouth with a vinegar/water solution.

What you are doing now, brushing your teeth really regularly. Make sure the toothpaste has high fluoride percentage as that seems to help them become whiter. Rub baking soda on them and brush with toothpaste. But you will only see real results with peroxide bleach.

Hopeful dentist :)

Baking soda not powder is more gritty than regular toothpaste and can help remove superficial stain on the teeth.

Give it a try. The price is right!

I am a dental assistant