Dentists all around the world recommend that you should be brushing your teeth at least twice a day. The key word here is at least. Brushing your teeth twice a day is in no way enough for attaining perfect oral health. The list of suggestions for bright and healthy teeth is very long and may even include some medicated dental procedure.
Tooth discoloration is generally associated with either extrinsic or intrinsic stains. But, yellowing can also occur due to a wide array of health factors, including medication or inadequate brushing.
Enamel is the hard outermost layer of the teeth that is affected by extrinsic stains. Although tooth enamel can be easily stained, these stains can typically be removed or corrected.
This kind of staining usually occurs because of coloring that can affect your clothes. Tar and nicotine in tobacco are chemicals that can cause yellowish stains on the surface of teeth, in people who smoke or chew.
Intrinsic stains are a little more complicated to remove because they occur within the inner structure of the tooth, called the dentin.
Besides stains, some other causes of discolored teeth include genetics, age, illness and injuries.
Therefore, even if you follow all the rules, your teeth might still get stained. This can either be due to the gradual build-up of a thin Pellicle layer on tooth enamel giving it a yellowish appearance by picking up stains attracted from certain foods or the enamel can thin as you age. However, you don’t have to accept such a situation.
You can get your shiny smile back by having your teeth whitened using these 3 most effective methods. These methods are practiced and recommended by the dentists and top our list of the suggestions for bright and healthy teeth.
1- Whitening Toothpaste:
Whitening toothpaste is probably the cheapest and the simplest way of getting achieving that white shine on your teeth. It is however a gradual process and might not work for people who have a completely destroyed enamel layer.
While all toothpastes contain mild abrasives to help remove surface stains, specialized whitening toothpastes usually contain 1-1.5% hydrogen peroxide-a necessary chemical for teeth whitening- and special polishing agents which provide a boost to the stain removing properties of toothpaste. However, they don’t really change tooth color; only lighten it by one shade, and require several weeks of regular use for visible effects.
2- Gels, Strips, Rinses and Trays:
With a 6-10% hydrogen peroxide content, they provide much more effective and faster results as compared to whitening toothpastes-albeit with a slightly higher price tag:
Similar to a regular mouthwash, Whitening Rinses are used twice daily for 2 minutes each with positive results in 12 weeks. It is the cheapest and least effective among these 4 products, mostly due to its short contact time with the teeth; approximately 120 seconds.
Whitening Gels take effect after a few days of application and must be applied onto the teeth via a small brush according to given instructions, with effects lasting for about 4 months.
Clear Whitening Strips covered with a peroxide-based gel are applied regularly for 2 weeks, twice a day for 30 minutes each, to achieve whitening effects that also last 4 months.
Whitening Trays involve wearing retainer or mouth guard-like trays filled with hydrogen peroxide containing gel. Depending upon the extent of discoloration and required amount of whitening, these trays are worn for 2 hours or every night before bed for up to 4 weeks.
Commercially available trays might cause gum irritation as they fit less securely, unlike custom, dentist-made mouthpieces, which also maximize tooth-gel contact for more effective results.
3- Bleaching:
Last but not the least on our list of suggestions for bright and healthy teeth is bleaching.While being the most expensive, professional teeth bleaching not only provides long lasting results of more than a year with 1-3 appointments of 30-60 minutes each, it also lightens teeth by 3-8 shades-depending on required whiteness.
This is due to the accelerated action of specialized laser activated gels with a 15-43% hydrogen peroxide content, along with a buffer to prevent enamel damage. Bleaching performed by a dentist will also ensure the protection of the rest of your mouth from otherwise harmful chemicals, as opposed to over the counter products.
While everyone deserves a brighter smile, these procedures are NOT an option if you have, Dental Restorations (veneers, crowns, etc.), Intrinsic Stains (below the dentin), Sensitive Teeth, Worn Enamel, Gum Disease, Cavities, or Exposed Roots.
Despite their miraculous effects, whitening procedures are not a permanent solution to teeth discolouration, and will not remain effective unless tooth-staining habits such as caffeine or nicotine consumption are avoided.
If you or a loved one are annoyed by the way your teeth are discoloring or the way your dental health is deteriorating and would like to get your bright and shiny smile back, book an appointment with a dental health specialist in Karachi, Multan, and Faisalabad through oladoc. Or call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your dental needs.
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