In aesthetic dentistry, whitening or bleaching has turned out to be the most requested treatment alternative for both women and men. There are many bleaching techniques to meet the patients desires, budget, and time-frame. Even if the patient needs an in-house whitening session or a home-based whitening program, there are countless solutions to be had.
Most of the whitening techniques work to some degree with patients seeing at least a moderate improvement and a few will observe a considerable improvement in the brightness and whiteness of their smile. It ought to be understood though, tooth whitening is not enduring and upkeep will be required for a longer lasting effect.
Bleaching or Whitening
The idiom “bleaching” applies to products which contain bleach to be used to whiten the teeth beyond their usual colour. The products normally contain carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide.
“Whitening” refers to the restoration of a tooth's exterior colour by getting rid of debris and grime. As a result any product like toothpastes that are used to cleanse can be considered a whitener. The name "whitening" is used considerably more regularly as it seems more reassuring than bleaching, even when referring to products that contain bleach.
Whitening applications will eliminate most of the stains and remains at the same time as leaving cracks in the enamel open and uncovered. A few of these cracks will fill up with food fragments and other organic fragments while some cracks will be quickly re-mineralized by saliva.
The causes of tooth stains may include: maturity, the initial colour, thinness and translucency, ingestion habits, smoking or chewing tobacco habits, drugs and chemicals, clenching and grinding, and trauma.
Age of teeth
There is an noticeable correlation between tooth age and colour. Over time, teeth will become dark as a outcome of repetitive wear and tear and the buildup of stains. Teenagers are more apt to experience immediate and dramatic results from tooth whitening. Adults in their twenties will begin to encounter the staining of their teeth and whitening will become much harder to achieve. As people extend into their forties, the yellow stains will turn to brown ones and the whitening consequently becomes much more difficult yet again. By the time patients reach their fifties, stains will have become firmly embedded and will prove incredibly difficult to eliminate, yet will not be impossible to get rid of.
Natural Tooth Colour
The range of starting tooth colour commonly begins with yellow-brownish to greenish-gray, and becomes darker over time. Yellow-brown stains will typically be more reactive to applications than green-gray stains.
Thinness and Translucency
These traits are also genetic traits and happen to grow to be much more pronounced with age. Some teeth that show some translucency and those that are thick and opaque will notably look lighter in color, show more glow and be far more receptive to bleaching. The teeth that are more clear due to thinness, especially the front teeth, do not have the compulsory pigment for bleaching.
Eating Tendencies
Habitual ingestion of coffee, teas, red wine, colas, blueberries, carrots, oranges along with other dark liquids and foods can produce noticeable discolouration over the years. Additionally, citrus fruits and other acidic foods like vinegar may add to wearing down of tooth enamel. This might lead to surface level clearness and the yellow-colored dentin will show through.
Tobacco Use
Nicotine leaves brownish spots that will gradually work into the foundations of the tooth and cause persistent discolouration.
Pharmaceuticals and Environmental Toxins
If tetracycline is used at some point in the formation of teeth, it will over and over again produce dark grey or brown ribbon stains that are stubborn and challenging to eradicate. The ingestion of too much fluoride may produce dental fluorosis creating white specks and streaks over the affected areas.
Tooth Grinding and Clenching
Grinding and clenching concerns are commonly associated with elevated levels of stress. This ailment may also lead to substantial micro-cracking in the enamel of the teeth and might cause the edges of the biting surface as well as the cusps to darken.
Trauma
Injuries from trauma may bring about very considerable cracks in the enamel of the teeth, in which remains and stains can accumulate in sizeable numbers.
