Yellow Teeth Have You Down?

What You Need to Know About Teeth Whitening

Ponder this for a minute, teeth whitening—or bleaching as some refer to it—is an industry that generates $11 billion a year in the U.S. And the trend is still headed up.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to make your teeth look brighter and whiter. You do need to make sure you are in-the-know about what your options are though, and how to pick the right one for you. So let’s spend a little time talking about that.

How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

There are two ways that whitening works on your teeth. The techniques will either be bleaching procedures or non-bleaching procedures.

Bleaching procedures can be done by a dental professional or you can do them at home by yourself. There are different methods for how it’s done, but we’ll get to those in a minute. The bleaches have either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide in them. These will usually have concentration levels between 10 and 22%.

When you have your teeth bleached, you can expect to get your teeth about five to seven shades whiter. Most of these procedures will be whitening not just the surface, but also deep down into the layers of the teeth.

Non-bleaching procedures may use chemicals, but they don’t use bleaching agents. There is a physical reliance with these methods, also. When you have a cleaning at a dentist, or when you brush your teeth with whitening toothpaste, you’re using one of these types of procedures. The whitening comes from the abrasive movements of the brush on your teeth and any chemicals that are in the toothpaste for polishing.

Different Methods for Whitening Your Teeth

Methods for whitening your teeth vary by procedure and largely by price. It’ll be up to you (and your bank account) to decide what method is best for your situation. Here’s some information about each one that can help you with your decision though.

• Chairside bleaching – This procedure is done by a professional and can cost upwards of $500 per single session. This method gives you whiter, brighter teeth after just one treatment. The thing is, your teeth can get stained all over again after about a year. That means you’ll have to pay for the treatment again if you want to maintain the brightness.

• Custom mouthpiece – You can work with your dentist to have a customized mouthpiece made that you will use at home to bleach your teeth. Typically, the cost of these is about $300. You will have to wear the mouthpiece for a certain number of hours a day, and, many times, users wear them at night. You’ll want to do this every day for up to two weeks. You can then wear it again anytime you feel the need to bleach new stains.

• Store-bought – You’ve likely seen all of the teeth whitening products down the oral care aisle at your local stores. You have your choice of whitening strips, brush-applied gels, and even whitening trays. The price for these range also, but usually they’ll be somewhere between $10 and $60.

• Whitening toothpaste – These toothpastes have polishing agents or other chemicals in them that help to brighten up your teeth. The abrasion action of your brushing works with the chemicals in the paste to remove stains from the surface of your teeth.

Are There Safety Concerns When it Comes to Teeth Whitening?

For the most part, no there aren’t really safety concerns. The biggest thing we can point out here is that you want to use the products that you choose in the manner that is instructed by the manufacturer, or in the way your dentist advises you to.

One other thing to note is that there are some home-based methods, which we will discuss below, that haven’t been proven yet to be effective. Trying a home remedy can be fine, but make sure you do some research before you do, and also discuss what you’re thinking about trying with your dentist first.

Home-based Methods of Teeth Whitening

If spending a bunch of money on whitening your teeth doesn’t appeal to you, or you just plain can’t afford it, you can try using one of these home-based methods.

• Oil pulling – This method comes from Indian folk medicine. Just take 1 tablespoon of an oil like coconut, sesame, or sunflower, and swish it back and forth between your teeth for about 15 minutes. It can clear out bacteria, reduce plaque, and help brighten teeth.

• Use baking soda – There’s a reason this is an ingredient in some toothpastes. It’s because it has the natural ability to help whiten teeth. It’s an abrasive that removes stains from the surface of your teeth. It also helps reduce bacteria growth in your mouth.

• Apple cider vinegar – This can clean and disinfect your mouth. It’s been proven to be effective at bleaching teeth, however, it can also soften your teeth. It can strip the enamel from your teeth because of the acetic acid in it. It’s ok to use it, you just don’t want to do it every day.

• Prevention – Instead of being reactive and trying to remove stains after the fact, you can go the proactive route and stop them before they happen. Educate yourself on what foods and drinks cause the worst staining. We’ll get you started right here, coffee, soda, dark colored berries, and red wine are all known to stain teeth bad. You should try to avoid these, or keep them from touching your teeth for very long. It will also help if you brush your teeth right after consuming any of these.

Related: The Truth About Apple Cider Vinegar

• Activated charcoal – Though unproven, there are some who believe that you can brush with powdered charcoal. They say that is helps to remove the stains on your teeth, as well as any bacteria in the mouth.

• Kaolin clay – This method consists of just brushing your teeth with the clay. Supporters claim that you’ll get teeth that are much whiter through the removal of the surface stains.

• Fruit peels – You can try rubbing your teeth with the peels of lemons, oranges, or bananas. Apparently, this also removes the stains and teeth should appear significantly brighter.

Note: The last three on the list of home-remedies above have not been evaluated by dental professionals. There is no clinical proof that these methods for teeth whitening work. Furthermore, no one really knows if these will produce any side effects or if using these could result in long-term problems.

How Often Can I Whiten My Teeth?

Different methods of whitening will have different timelines for when you should be having them performed. Generally, chairside bleaching can be done about once a year. Some of the at-home products you can purchase at the store will usually leave you with whiter teeth for around four to six months. You can do the process again at that point.

You can increase the time between whitening sessions by using some of the prevention  tips we mentioned, though. Up your oral hygiene routine after you have your teeth whitened so that you can make the most of the money and time you put into it. Make sure you brush and floss like you should. See your dentist every six months like you’re supposed to for your regular cleanings. And maybe avoid some of the foods that tend to stain your teeth more quickly.

More About Preventing Stains and Yellowing

Preventing your teeth from yellowing and getting stained is something that can save you money and the time it will take you to whiten your teeth. We already mentioned some of the heavy-hitting teeth-stainers above. Here’s a better list of foods that cause discoloring of your teeth:

• Wine
• Coffee and tea
• Juices and sports drinks
• Soda
• Vibrant sauces – tomato, soy, and some curries
• Dark berries
• Cocoa

It’s not realistic to say you shouldn’t eat or drink these things ever. You can just be more mindful about the way you eat or drink them. If you can use a straw to keep the drink from coming in contact with your teeth, then you should. If you’re eating something with one of the vibrant dark or colored sauces, then try to put the fork or spoon back farther into your mouth bypassing your front teeth. Also, brush your teeth as soon as you’re done consuming these kinds of things so that you remove all of the leftover residue from them.

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Are There Ever Adverse Reactions to Teeth Whitening Procedures?

One thing that can happen with some of the in-home products is people will not use them properly and end up with bleached gums. In rare cases the gums can even become burned. You need to follow the instructions that come with whatever product you choose to try so that you don’t end up in a situation like this. However, if you do accidentally get yourself into this kind of predicament, understand that it’s only temporary. It will return to its normal color in time.

Something else that can occur with any kind of teeth whitening method is pain or discomfort due to heightened sensitivity. This too is temporary, but in some cases the discomfort can be pretty intense. You’ll want to discuss any sensitivity that already exists for you teeth with your dentist. Together, the two of you can decide on what the right method is for you.

Things You Shouldn’t Do Regarding Teeth Whitening

We’ll start by mentioning the home remedies again. You can explore these definitely. We don’t recommend trying any of them without discussing it with your dentist first. You should find out what it might do to your enamel or the health of your gums before treading off down that road.

You should not have or perform any teeth whitening procedures if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. We’re not saying it will do anything bad to the baby, it’s just not known at this point. Don’t risk it.

You shouldn’t whiten your teeth all the time. You could cause your teeth to become ultra-sensitive and for long periods of time. There are guidelines for how long you should wait in between procedures. Talk to your dentist or read the packaging on your chosen product to find out what they are.

Make sure you store your teeth whitening products in a cool, dark place. Heat and sunlight can cause the chemicals to become ineffective, so they won’t work the way they’re supposed to to whiten your teeth. The result will be money down the drain.

Don’t forget to check expiration dates. Teeth whitening products do expire. The date of expiration is based on when the product starts to lose its ability to whiten. The ingredients lose effectiveness due to deterioration of the chemicals. Only use products that haven’t expired.

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Are There Regulations That Govern Teeth Whitening Products?

This is an important question. There has been a lot of debate over the topic of regulating the teeth whitening industry. At this point, there are some regulations in place, but they vary from state to state.

Some of the regulations in place govern how much of certain ingredients, such as hydrogen peroxide can be contained in the bleaching products. Others have to do with who can administer bleaching procedures.

As the industry got bigger and started producing more revenue, many people tried to jump on the bandwagon, as they say, to try to make some money. Legislators had to react with regulations that would keep non-dentists from being able offer teeth whitening services in malls or other venues.

To this day, there is still some contention over teeth whitening. Some states have laid out strict laws, others haven’t gotten that far. It’s likely it will continue to be up for discussion as the industry progresses even more.

Final Thoughts

Teeth whitening can be really good for you. It can help boost your confidence, making you smile more and just generally feel better about yourself. It just should be done with the guidance of a dental professional and with careful adherence to the instructions for how to do it correctly.

More Great Teeth Whitening Resources:

10 FACTS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TEETH WHITENING

7 Simple Ways to Naturally Whiten Your Teeth at Home

THE PROS AND CONS OF TEETH WHITENING: IS IT A GOOD IDEA?