Whiter teeth can
make
you look
10 years younger
By ANNE MOORE
So you meet someone and you
can’t help noticing their facial
features — particularly the
eyes and then the mouth.
You’ll remember their smile as being
pleasant — or perhaps for some rather
unsavory teeth, dulled by stains from
years of coffee or tea consumption,
smoking or maybe some other culprit,
like medications.
Teeth whitening can be a real solution
for this type of problem. Or you might be
considering whitening your teeth just to
get a beautiful smile with gleaming
white teeth. Either way, there’s plenty of
help available — some process to fit
every budget and time frame.
There are whitening toothpastes,
over-the-counter products such as gels,
strips and tray systems, and, of course,
the ultimate process you can get from
your own dentist.
This brings us to a very important part
of the process — consulting with your
dentist to ascertain if you’re a good candidate
(yes, some of you are not). For
example, if you have a lot of fillings,
crowns or very dark stains in your teeth,
you may not be able to get to the shade
of bleaching you desire.
Another hindrance to whitening success
involves the tone of the discoloration.
Yellowish stains are known to
lighten well, whereas brownish stains will
not cooperate as well — maybe not at
all. Sometimes prior tooth bonding or fill-ings prevent whitening techniques from
working and could call more attention to
these previous procedures.
There’s a term called “Technicolor
teeth” that is slang to describe what
sometimes happens after you whiten
teeth when you have a lot of enamel
crowns or bonding in your mouth.
That’s because your naturally unenhanced
teeth will bleach to one shade,
maybe even lighter than the others,
and your bonded or crowned teeth will
remain the color they were initially.
This could result in more bonding or
crown replacement to obtain a match
for the whitened ones. Another reason
to check with your dentist prior
to whitening.
WHAT CAUSES
TEETH
TO STAIN?
Well, first you must know the two
types of staining of teeth. There are
extrinsic stains, which are those on the
surface or outside of the teeth. These
result from drinking or eating certain
foods, from smoking or use of other
forms of tobacco and by wear and tear
over the years. Some of these stains can
be removed by routine brushing and
cleanings by a dental hygienist or dentist.
Others require bleaching or maybe even
bonding or crowning to hide the stains.
The second type is intrinsic stains, those
within the teeth, caused by wear and
tear over time.
Other factors in staining include the
opaqueness and the color of the teeth
you were born with; use of drugs or
chemicals, particularly Tetracycline and
excessive fluoride; eating or drinking
many “dark” fluids such as red wine,
coffee and tea plus acidic foods like vinegar,
oranges and grapefruit. I’m not sure
about jalapeños … are they acidic or just
plain fiery?
And, as mentioned before, smoking,
dipping or chewing tobacco can stain
teeth over time. Also, traumas to the
teeth caused by falling or other accidents
and the grinding or gnashing of teeth
can result in cracks, large and small,
which then lead to staining and other
types of damage to teeth.
WHITENING OPTIONS
Top of the line, as far as getting the
best results in the shortest period of
time, are the procedures performed in
the dentist’s office. In an hour or less, it
is possible to bleach your teeth nine to
11 shades lighter. The concentration of
the bleaching agent, usually hydrogen
peroxide, is much higher (15 percent to
43 percent) than in over-the-counter
products because it is used by professionals
in a controlled environment.
The procedure usually goes something
like this: First, the gums are protected
with a rubber shield or “painted
on” rubber product. Next, the gel is
applied to the teeth and left on for 10
to 15 minutes. This procedure is repeated
three to four times during the hour
in the chair. While bleaching, some
form of heat or special light or laser is
often used to accelerate the process. A
particularly deep stain might require
another chairside session at the
dentist’s office, or you might be sent
home with an at-home kit to supplement
the bleaching.
As you might expect, this faster-acting,
greater whitening process, performed
and monitored by a dentist or
other trained professional, costs more.
The price range in the sources I used
ranged from $500 to $1,000 for the
entire mouth.
The next level of whitening, as far as
concentration of hydrogen peroxide (3
percent to 9 percent) and speed, would
be the in-home kits you can obtain from your dentist. Because of the lower percentage of
bleaching matter, these take-out kits must be used daily ands
for a longer period of time. The usual time required is one to
two hours per day or at night when you’re sleeping, for
around two to four weeks.
An advantage to these dentist-provided kits is that before
usage a bleaching “tray” (something like a mouth guard) is
custom made to fit your mouth and teeth. This means there’s
no extra aggravation to your gums that occasionally occurs
when a non-fitted tray shifts or moves. The cost range for kits
to use at home is from $100 to $300 for upper or lower teeth
and $200 to $600 for the entire mouth. Your dentist will probably
want to check your gums and your progress during the
whitening process.
Several types and brands of over-the-counter whitening systems,
as well as gel refills for these kits, are available at drugstores
and grocery stores. These include tray-based systems,
similar in process to those at-home systems obtained at a dentist’s
office. There’s a lower concentration of peroxide or other
bleaching agent, and the tray is a one-size-fits-all apparatus
instead of being custom fitted. This means, in some cases,
minor gum or mouth soreness, which is temporary and goes
away once the process is complete. Some kits also contain a
light mechanism.
A few examples I found at a local drugstore chain include:
• Rembrandt two-hour whitening kit, $24.95.
• Plus White Speed: Mix, rinse, put gel in tray and use for
five minutes, twice daily, for two weeks. $15.
• I White uses a tray with foam strips containing gel for the
tray plus a light device, $45.
• AquaFresh White Trays: Pre-filled trays, seven upper, seven
lower, to be used for 35 minutes. $43.
ADDITIONAL CHOICES
Whitening gels are clear gels containing peroxide and
applied directly to the teeth with a brush twice a day for 14
days. The cost is $15.
The drugstore’s own brand, used once a night for 14 days,
is $8.49.
Whitening strips are thin, clear strips already having whitening
gel with peroxide. A one-month supply of Crest White
Strips, to be used five minutes per day, costs $40.
Whitening toothpaste: All toothpastes and tooth powders“whiten” your teeth in that they contain some sort of abrasives
or chemicals to help clean the outside of the teeth and make
them appear whiter. They do not actually bleach the teeth since
they contain no bleaching agent. And, of course, there is no
lasting whitening from daily brushing. In this article, whitening
the teeth is used to mean bleaching as well — it sounds more
pleasing than bleaching.
Generally speaking, many of the over-the-counter products
work quite well — it just takes more time, more dedication
and carefully following the directions. In addition to
the convenience of buying and using them at home, these
systems are very reasonably priced. Manufacturers of all
these whitening options strive to make their products comfortable
to use and thus prevent any irritation or hypersensitivity.
Some of the products may show the American Dental
Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance, assuring the product
is safe and effective.
Depending upon your desires, time frame and budget,
you should reach or even exceed your expectations. It’s
possible that you may not see the full extent of the whitening process for a couple of weeks or
more, maybe even up to four months.
Just for your information, I read in literature
I researched that you really
won’t be able to bleach teeth so white
that they look unnatural. Men and
women are equally interested in having
a nice, bright, white smile. Word
is, this whitening can make us look 10
years younger.
You should also know that whitening
is not permanent. The more often
you eat and drink those dark and colored
foods and liquids that cause staining,
the quicker the whiteness starts
fading. Some sources I read even
encourage the use of a straw whenever
possible when drinking dark liquids.
A word of caution: If you are pregnant
or nursing, teeth whitening is not an
option, since it is possible to swallow
some of the bleach and possibly cause
injury to the fetus or infant.
SHOCK AND AWE
Before I embarked upon the
research for this article, I had no idea
how many choices of whitening products
were available to dentists for chairside
and take-home procedures. Or, for
that matter, the variety available in the
stores for home bleaching. The developers
and distributors of these products
try to differentiate their brands
with claims of working the fastest,
higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide
or causing the least discomfort or
none at all. Others believe their packaging
makes the product easier to use
(no light required, flexible container for
more uniform flow, no tray required).
Many tout the thinness, flexibility, fit
or special design of the tray found in
their whitening kits. Rehydration and
replenishment of calcium or other minerals
during the whitening procedure is
an important feature in some products.
There’s at least one gel that is injected
into the tooth after a filling or other
procedure causes discoloration. The old
filling is taken out, the gel injected, and
a temporary covering is used to seal the
tooth. The procedure is repeated every
few days until the color is changed
from the inside. Did I mention flavors
like mint, peach and melon are sometimes
available?
So, lighten up! Grab a new toothbrush,
some floss and schedule a dental
appointment to find out what type of
procedure suits you best.
Hmmmmm … 10 years younger ...
maybe I’ll see you there!
