At home teeth whitening

Some people are born with a darker shade of teeth than others and some people have teeth which turn yellow with age. There's a number of things which can affect your natural tooth colour including surface or 'extrinsic' stains and discolouration. Stains such as these can be traced back to tobacco products (like cigarettes, snuff and chewing tobacco), drinking red wine, coffee and tea and eating foods which are very pigmented like certain berries. There's also stains which occur internally (known as intrinsic stains) which commonly occur due to an excess of fluoride when your teeth are developing, trauma or damage to the teeth which kills the nerve of the tooth and discolouration due to aging.

What causes stains?

The things you eat play a big role in the colour of your teeth and research has shown certain types of food can contribute to staining more than others. Examples include red wine, coffee, tea, soft drinks, oranges and some acidic foods like citrus fruits or vinegar can also contribute. Research shows that smoking can play a major role in the staining of teeth as the nicotine leaves brown deposits which are gradually absorbed by the tooth causing intrinsic stains. If you grind your teeth can add to cracks in the teeth which can potentially cause a darkening in the edges of your teeth. Also accidents or damage to the teeth can also produce cracks which are susceptible to a build up of stains and debris.

Whitening

The most common form of tooth whitening is bleaching, this is where chemicals are applied which can penetrate into your enamel and create a chemical reaction which works to dissolve the materials which cause the discolouration. The most popular chemicals used in tooth whitening include hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. Tooth whitening can be performed either by your dentist or at home using a specialised kit and in both methods an oxidating tooth gel is used to filter out the stains. At home whitening as become an increasingly popular option due to its ease and simplicity. Your dentist will first take an impression of your teeth in specialised dental putty. Using this impression your dentist creates a custom made tray which will be the main tool for home whitening. This tray will be filled with a specialised whitening gel containing carbamide peroxide and you'll need to wear it for about two hours a day or overnight for around two weeks. If you carefully follow the instructions given to you by your dentist, then at home whitening is usually very effective. It's important to note that your newly whitened teeth will still be vulnerable to staining so to prevent stains returning avoid smoking, drinking tea and coffee and make sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day.