Teeth Whitening - 5 common misconceptions

Tooth discoloration can be caused by any number of factors, from beverages such as tea or coffee, smoking tobacco, or even age. Unfortunately, people are under the belief that they are to be cursed with yellow teeth forever, thanks to inaccurate information regarding tooth whitening. Learning the truth behind five of the most common misconceptions can open the door to a brighter, healthier smile.



1. It is not "natural" to whiten teeth. Most people feel that methods to whiten teeth are loaded with dangerous, toxic chemicals. The fact of the matter is that brightening the smile can be accomplished using carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. These natural chemicals have oxidizing properties. Peroxide is also easily obtainable, as it is most likely already in many people's medicine cabinets. Peroxide, combined with ultraviolet light, is also used by the dentist when he power or laser bleaches the teeth. Whether at the dentist or at home, neither the peroxide nor the ultraviolet light will expose the teeth to anything highly toxic, making teeth-whitening perfectly safe.



2. Whitening the teeth costs too much. Although it is true that having teeth whitened professionally can be expensive, most people do not have to put out a lot of money to do so. Teeth-whitening kits can be purchased at the store for a fraction of the cost and still give the same results. The most effective kits to look for are the ones which use trays that can be fitted to the teeth, since they deliver the agent closer. Some stains, however, may not disappear with these at-home kits and would require a visit to the dentist. Such stains include those caused by years of tobacco use and antibiotics such as tetracycline.



3. Whitening the teeth will cause damage. After the advent of professional whitening methods, many clinical studies have been done on the effects of teeth-whitening over long periods of time. The studies showed that enamel erosion was miniscule, causing only slight damage to the surface of the teeth. It has been deemed safe to regularly whiten the teeth during a person's lifetime, since it has been found that it would take a couple hundred years of annual treatments to ever do any significant damage.



4. Whitening the teeth hurts. While it is true that power-bleaching the teeth many shades whiter within a short period of time can cause pain and sensitivity, most methods are not painful. Using long-term methods such as at-home kits do not cause any discomfort, especially when using formulas that contain low concentrations of peroxide.



5. Whitening the teeth has short-term results. This misconception came about due to the effects of power-bleaching, which cause the teeth do dry out. After moisture is reintroduced, especially by dark beverages, they can become darker. If the right teeth-whitening method is selected, along with meticulous hygiene, whitening the teeth can have lasting, beautiful results.



Denzel Archie is a research writer. You can find some of his work at http://www.teethwhitening4all.net/