• Teeth Whitening
• August 25, 2023
• by lotus

Having a whiter, brighter smile makes a major difference to the quality of your smile and your self-confidence. Despite all the products that are vying for your attention from the shelves of the pharmacy and supermarket, only dentist-approved teeth whitening treatments can brighten your teeth safely and effectively. Working closely with your dentist to find a solution for your personal needs is the only way on how to get white teeth without causing damage to your tooth structure. Let’s take a look at some of the dos and don’ts of teeth whitening

Why Do Teeth Become Discoloured?

Tooth discolouration is the result of the dentin inside your tooth changing colour. It starts off white early in life and then becomes darker as we get older. If you are a smoker or someone who drinks a lot of red wine or coffee, this can cause external stains and discolouration too, making your teeth appear yellow. 

How To Get White Teeth Safely?

Because effective teeth whitening requires the bleaching agent to penetrate the dental enamel to lift up intrinsic stains, it’s vital that the teeth whitening product you use remineralises your teeth and protects your tooth enamel.

Before teeth whitening was regulated, there were a number of products available off the shelf that were destructive to tooth enamel. Today, only your registered dentist can administer a whitening product that contains more than 6% hydrogen peroxide. This is for your safety, and to ensure that patients do not do damage to their teeth unwittingly.

How To Get White Teeth: The Do’s And Don’ts To Pay Attention To

Do: consult with your dentist before you attempt any kind of teeth whitening. For one, you need a go-ahead from your dentist, to ensure that your teeth are free of decay and your mouth is free of gum disease. Your dentist also needs to professionally clean and polish your teeth to remove all traces of plaque and tartar. This creates an even surface for whitening.

Do: discuss your teeth whitening goals and timelines with your dentist. Find out how much whiter you can expect your smile to be post-treatment and, if possible, ask for comparative photos from other patients. This is important for expectation management. If you want to whiten by a certain date, then in-chair whitening is probably the most appropriate choice for you. If you have the time to wait for a more gradual change, you may benefit from take-home trays, which you wear for a few hours a day or at night while you sleep.

If you do use at-home whitening trays make sure you follow your dentist’s instructions and do not leave the bleaching agent on for too long or use it more often or for longer than directed. Not following the instructions can weaken your tooth enamel and cause irreparable damage.

Do not: try home and natural remedies that the internet advertises as being able to whiten teeth. Lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda, fruit acids and charcoal are abrasive and can cause damage to your tooth enamel. If you would like to change the colour of your teeth, get professional advice and do it properly the first time.

Do not: buy teeth whitening products from overseas or use bleach containing more than 6% hydrogen peroxide. Do not be misled by advertising claims made on whitening strip kits and whitening toothpaste. These products cannot penetrate the tooth enamel, do not fit the contours of your teeth shape and may cause surface damage through abrasion.

Do not: have your teeth bleached or whitened by anyone other than a dental professional. Remember that it’s important for your dental health to be evaluated before you go ahead with any whitening treatment in order to avoid long term damage. 

How To Keep Teeth White?

When you have your first whitening consultation you can discuss how long to expect your teeth to stay white for. Your dentist will recommend intervals for top-up whitening treatments. He or she will probably also recommend that you quit smoking and reduce your intake of coffee and red wine, to keep your smile whiter for longer.

Visiting your dentist twice a year for professional cleaning and polishing will help to keep your teeth free of extrinsic stains. Your dentist will also be able to assess the whiteness of your teeth and give you some advice on how often you should return for teeth whitening. 

To find out more about how to get white teeth, or the professional whitening formulations we use for teeth whitening please get in touch with us: (03) 8737 9359.