Isn’t engaging in conversation, laughter, and other social gatherings enjoyable if you have some good news? What’s more, if you can smile all you want, showing your shiny white teeth! Possessing purely white teeth lifts one’s confidence because this color is usually associated with youthfulness, oral hygiene, and beauty. A really white smiling teeth can create a solid first impression in your job interviews, dates, or meetings.
But sometimes, we cannot really avoid teeth discoloration. It happens to our teeth when its natural color changes to yellow, brown, gray, or even blue or greenish. The change may be the extrinsic discoloration or, the intrinsic discoloration, or both. Extrinsic discoloration happens only on the outer surface of the enamel, while the intrinsic one is a change in color in its internal structure.
The food and drinks we take have pigments that can stain our teeth. Coffee, tea, wine, sodas, and foods with artificial dyes have strong staining powers. Some medicines can even turn our teeth yellow or gray. Take the case of antibiotics, antihistamines, high blood pressure medications, and chemotherapy treatments. Also, nicotine and tar in tobacco make smoking another villain for our healthy white teeth.
Meanwhile, plaque and tartar buildup can make teeth appear yellow or brown. Even excessive exposure to fluoride, especially in childhood, discolors our teeth. Tooth damage or injury is also a factor in discoloration. And as we age, the yellowish dentin underneath our teeth gradually shows up. Other people also have to deal with genetics when they have naturally thicker or more translucent enamel that affects the teeth’s color.
Of course, there are ways to help us manage some discoloration factors, like practicing improved oral hygiene, regulated intake of staining foods and drinks, totally quitting smoking, checking fluoride intake, dental cleanings, treating dental issues, and using whitening products.
Nevertheless, Science has made breakthroughs in teeth whitening, focusing on chemical reactions. Here’s how teeth whitening works scientifically:
- Chemical Agents
Hydrogen peroxide attacks the stain when applied to teeth. It happens because it breaks down into water and oxygen, and this oxygen destroys the chemical bonds of the stain, making it barely visible or colorless. On the other hand, a more stable form of hydrogen peroxide, which is the carbamide peroxide, can perform the same process. It collapses into hydrogen peroxide and urea as it interacts with saliva or water. It does the same work but at a slower pace; that is why it is often given with at-home kits. These whitening agents can remedy extrinsic and intrinsic stains as the oxygen penetrates the enamel to the dentin.
- Light Aided Whitening
Blue light or laser activation is used to speed up the chemical reaction. It helps the peroxides speed up the release of oxygen molecules for quicker and more efficient staining breakdown. The high temperature can also temporarily expand the enamel’s pores, making the tooth’s deeper portion more accessible to the whitening agent.
- Microabrasion
Some teeth whitening products use mild abrasives like silica, calcium carbonate, or baking soda to rub the surface of the teeth and eventually clear away the stain. They can effectively erase surface discoloration without affecting the natural color of the teeth.
- pH Levels for Whitening
The pH level of the whitening gel affects the whitening process. A slightly alkaline pH (above 7) is safer for the teeth and helps the peroxide break down more effectively while too acidic level can damage the enamel.
- Post -Whitening
After the whitening process, the teeth can become temporarily dehydrated and look whiter than they actually are. However, as the teeth rehydrate naturally through saliva, their true color will eventually come out. In addition, there will be an increased permeability of the enamel, where substances are enabled to reach the nerve’s location. So, the sensitivity of the tooth is activated, but over time, the enamel will gradually close, and this sensitivity fades, too.
In summary, the whitening process starts with applying a whitening substance, followed by releasing oxygen that attacks the pigment that is causing stain. Then, oxygen molecules work on both the surface and the inner part of the teeth. Light or laser may be used to accelerate the process. The end result is much healthy, cleaner, whiter teeth and, of course, a brighter smile.
Teeth whitening is a safe, scientifically-backed treatment. Let us visit the dentist to address our discolored teeth and identify its root cause. Maintaining good oral hygiene may not be enough, and professional whitening treatments or cosmetic dental procedures may address our concerns better.
