Teeth Whitening

Reasons for tooth discoloration

White teeth are universally considered more youthful largely due to the fact that infant/first teeth are almost always whiter than their adult counterparts. Adult teeth can become stained or discolored for a number of reasons including:

• Smoking – one of the biggest contributors to yellowed teeth!

• Use of antibiotics as a child/teenager

• Exposure to high levels of fluoride

• Food/drink containing tannins such as oranges, carrots, red wine and coffee

• Trauma to the tooth

• Decay

• Damage to nerve or blood vessels inside the root canal

• Genetics – the thickness of the enamel covering your teeth is usually determined by genetics. Thinner enamel can often show the color of the dentin beneath it, giving the tooth a darker appearance.

• Ageing – our teeth naturally darken as we get older

Can’t I just use an over-the-counter teeth whitener?

There are dozens of products on the market that claim to be able to improve the whiteness of your smile without the need for you to visit your dentist. However,

Vital Whitening

The most common variety, vital whitening, is able to be performed on teeth with current active nerves and involves whitening the tooth purely on the outside. The whitening product is usually a gel which contains a form of hydrogen peroxide and is applied directly on to the surface of the tooth. Your dentist will then shine a special laser or light onto your teeth, creating a chemical reaction that begins the bleaching.

You can expect vital whitening to take between 30 and 90 minutes and depending on the extent of your staining/the level of whiteness you wish to achieve, you may require between one and three visits to your dentist’s office.