Teeth Whitening

Effects of Whitening Your Teeth

Today, a large number of options are available for removal of dental stains and whitening the teeth. Tooth whitening is a basic procedure of bleaching in cosmetic dentistry. Apart from the professional whitening from the dentist, at-home whitening kits are available that include the whitening gels, tubes, syringes and mouth trays.

Tooth whitening is highly effective in whitening the discolored, stained and yellow teeth. By teeth whitening methods teeth can be made lighter to 10 shades whiter. For an immediate effect, professional laser teeth whitening should be preferred. Staining due to tetracycline can be dramatically reduced with professional whitening. Also, dramatic results can be obtained from the at-home whitening gel solutions. They are also convenient.

However, there are negative side-effects of these teeth whitening systems as they involve the use of harmful chemicals. The chief ingredients of the at-home whitening gel are carbamide peroxide as well as hydrogen peroxide. Both of these have negative side effects even in small doses. When taken orally, they can cause irritation in the mouth along with bleeding. The harmful chemicals can also result in abdominal discomfort and diarrhea. In the teeth whitening kits, carbamide peroxide is used usually in a diluted form but when used in higher concentrations it acts like a respiratory irritant which can be corrosive and causing burns. Thus, it is important to be sure that the teeth whitening kit used at home does not contain more than 10% carbamide peroxide.

The professional teeth whitening also have side effects. The dentists use peroxide bleaching agents in the whitening treatments. This can be caustic in nature and cause irritation to the mouth tissues which are soft. This is the reason why the dentist isolates the patients teeth by a dental dam. Another safety measure adopted is limiting the whitener containing peroxide to tooth contact only. The teeth may become sensitive and cause discomfort during the process of treatment. After the professional whitening treatment is finished, patients may feel increased tooth sensitivity towards hot and cold foods and drinks. After a few hours of this type of whitening procedure, the patients may feel slight to moderate pain. One may feel sudden sharp pain and also a dull moderate ache.

Teeth whitening has minimal side effects varying in different persons. One should consult the dentist in case of sensitive teeth and gums or severely receding gums and also in case of defective restorations. Patients with sensitive teeth can benefit by using a mild peroxide whitening formula. Those who have an allergy to peroxide should avoid methods of traditional teeth whitening.