Are Teeth Whitening Treatments Effective on All Types of Stains

Teeth whitening treatments can get you the pearly set of white teeth you have always wanted. It is an effective way to get rid of most types of stains and discoloration like those caused by the coloring agents in the things you eat and drink, habits like smoking, and the yellowing effect of aging on teeth.

However, teeth whitening treatments are not effective on all types of stains like those caused by tetracycline antibiotics, overexposure to fluoride, or tooth decay. These types of stains will need to be removed with other procedures like composite bonding, veneers, or crowns.

Improving the color of your teeth with teeth whitening treatments

Professional whitening treatments are usually administered using a custom mouth tray. This ensures the bleaching agents used evenly coat the patient’s teeth and prevent the product from getting into gum tissues, where it can lead to discoloration and stains.

The custom mouthguard is made from an impression of the patient’s teeth. The dentist gets this by having the person bite down on a mold that leaves an impression of their teeth and sending the impression to a dental lab where oral appliances such as mouth trays are made. The process takes about two weeks from the time the dentist sends the impression to the lab to the time the customized mouth tray gets back to the dentist.

Once the mouth tray is ready, the patient is ready for their whitening treatment. Gauze is typically placed around the patient’s mouth to keep their teeth dry during the treatment. The bleaching product is dispensed onto the mouth tray and the patient is asked to bite down on it. The patient keeps the mouth tray in their mouth for 60 to 90 minutes. The tray is removed and the patient’s mouth is thoroughly rinsed to complete the process.

The American Academy for Cosmetic Dentistry states that a single professional whitening treatment can improve the color of a person’s teeth by upwards of eight shades. That is often enough to reach the shade of white most patients are targeting, but some people might need additional treatments to get the desired level of whiteness. The types of stains teeth whitening treatments are most effective on include:

• Stains caused by foods and beverages: The tannins in foods and drinks with dark colors like beets and red wine can stain teeth particularly when they are consumed regularly. The hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen carbamide molecules in whitening products oxidize and remove such stains.
• Stains caused by aging: Teeth enamel becomes thinner as a person ages and that leads to the inner layer called the dentin being more visible. Teeth whitening treatments can be used to whiten the dentin to restore the color of the teeth.
• Stains caused by smoking: Habits like smoking tobacco products lead to brown and yellow stains forming on teeth. Fortunately, teeth whitening treatments are extremely effective on these types of stains.