Recent dental studies have shown that more people than ever before are making tooth whitening a priority. Given the fact that bleaching the teeth brings many different benefits along with it, this information comes as no surprise. That said, there are many different methods of reaching this goal, and some are more effective and efficient than others.
This article will take a look at the subject of dental whitening and will educate readers about it along the way. Questions that are relevant to the subject will be answered, and these include; what happens when a tooth is stained? How do modern tooth whitening products like hydrogen peroxide act to whiten the teeth? What are some of the major benefits of tooth whitening? And, are there any products on the market that do a good job of whitening the teeth? Let’s answer these questions.
What Happens When A Tooth Is Stained?
It is important to recognize that there are two basic varieties of dental staining, and these include intrinsic staining and extrinsic staining.
Intrinsic staining involves the discolouration of the internal supporting structure of the tooth, which is known as the dentine. There are many reasons why this may happen, but some of the more common ones include:
- Changes to the structure of the tooth due to the ageing process
- Discolouration of the dentine because of dental issues during childhood
- Changes in colour due to certain medications being used
- Trauma or damage to the primary teeth
- Abscesses within the tooth
Extrinsic staining involves changes of colour that affect the outermost and hardest layer of the tooth, which is known as the tooth enamel. Tooth enamel may seem to be smooth when viewed with the naked eye, but upon microscopic inspection the surface of the tooth is revealed to have many tiny pits and grooves, which provide a staging ground for the pigments that cause the appearance of dental discolouration. This kind of staining is usually caused by one or more of the following issues:
- Certain kinds of foods including coffee, tea, berries, fried foods, cola, and red wine
- Oral hygiene that has been neglected
- Certain kinds antibiotics
- Iron tablets have been known to cause dark marks
- Certain kinds of mouthwashes
- Smoking is well known to cause stains
It should be noted that intrinsic stains can be treated, but depending on the cause they may only be able to be mitigated with the help of a trained dentist.
How Do Modern Tooth Whitening Products Like Hydrogen Peroxide Act To Whiten Teeth?
It will be instructive to find out a little bit more about hydrogen peroxide before discussing how it can help in teeth whitening efforts. Hydrogen peroxide is basically a liquid that at an atomic level is formed from two oxygen and two hydrogen atoms bonded together. The way the two materials are mixed together makes hydrogen peroxide a potent oxidation agent, and makes it a fairly reactive substance.
In many cases, whether the individual is receiving a whitening agent over the counter or directly from their dentist, the bleaching factor will be in the form of carbamide peroxide. This carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide inside the mouth after application, and the hydrogen peroxide experiences a further breakdown into highly reactive free radicals.
At this point in the process, the free radicals attack the microscopic pigments that cause tooth staining and discolouration, breaking chemical bonds between the molecules that form the stain. Once this has happened, the pigments are no longer pigments any more and in many cases migrate out of the tooth. Any remaining vestiges no longer effectively reflect light, and the overall effect is of the stain no longer being visible to the naked eye.
What Are Some Of The Major Benefits Of Tooth Whitening?
Bleaching or whitening the teeth brings a surprising number of benefits to the table. For one thing, having a nice sparkly set of teeth provides an obvious social benefit, positively influencing the perceptions of others. Because teeth whitening is not recommended for people with active dental diseases, individuals wishing to get rid of stains can often be motivated to take care of any underlying dental issues that they may have, and this contributes to their overall health.
People with high levels of acidity in their mouths are often at a higher risk for dental diseases because the acidity wears away at the tooth enamel, but carbamide peroxide has been shown to regulate pH levels and thus provides another layer of indirect protection for those who make use of it.
What Are Some Products That Have Helped Others In The Quest For Whiter Teeth?
In the quest or whiter teeth, many individuals take the default route of trying an over the counter toothpaste or similar dentifrice. In many cases, these products contain tiny abrasives that can have a weak effect in terms of tooth whitening, but at the same time their abrasive natures make them very apt to simultaneously remove the tooth enamel.
Not only that, but over time these products can actually cause the tooth or teeth in question to become darker than was originally the case, defeating the whole purpose of the exercise.
In order to protect our readers from that fate and help them to enjoy success in this endeavour we are including a link to a special dental whitening tool kit review page. We have spent a lot of time testing out various top-flight whitening kits and are eager to share their conclusions and their recommendations to readers, thus saving them time, effort, and frustration.
As can be seen, there is a lot that goes into whitening the teeth in the most efficient way. That said, those that make use of the information and the links in that article will doubtless find themselves with a mouthful of bright teeth, and sooner rather than later.
