There’s nothing quite like a dazzling, white smile to turn heads, impress people and feel confident that you can take on anything.
Over time, food and drink, and some medications can make our teeth look dull or stained, but help is at hand with teeth whitening procedures to restore your smile.
You can have your teeth whitened professionally when you visit your dentist, or there are many DIY whitening kits available in the form of gels and strips you can apply at home.
What is Teeth Whitening?
Most people’s teeth are not naturally bright and white and tend to be a variety of shades from off white to yellow, depending on age and the kind of food and drinks consumed.
Teeth whitening kits and procedures generally use hydrogen peroxide in various forms and concentrations to bleach the teeth, with dentists using higher concentrations.
However, there’s been some concern that the higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can permeate deep into the enamel and cause damage.
At-Home Teeth Whitening Kits
There is now a wide range of teeth whitening kits ranging from cheaper products available in supermarkets, to more expensive kits you can buy from your pharmacy.
With the surge in online shopping there are now even more products on the market, and not all of them are safe, or even effective.
The trouble with DIY teeth whitening kits is the lack of professional advice and supervision. Overuse of stronger concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can indeed damage enamel, and the use of abrasive toothpastes can make it even worse.
Some of the newer teeth whitening products claim to be free of hydrogen peroxide, instead of using carbamide peroxide or sodium perborate which both ultimately break down to hydrogen peroxide.
Any product that claims to not use any form of hydrogen peroxide is unlikely to be effective, and therefore you’re wasting your time and money.
Professional Teeth Whitening Procedure
In contrast, in-chair teeth whitening performed by your dentist can strengthen the tooth enamel, and because you’re under the supervision of a professional there’s no chance of damage to your enamel.
With teeth whitening, less is usually more and you’ll achieve brilliant results that should last for at least six months, so there’s no need to repeat the procedure more often and risk damaging your teeth.
The gel used in professional teeth whitening is safe and can be used repeatedly until the desired shade of whiteness is achieved.
Charcoal Toothpaste
One of the latest trends is charcoal toothpaste, ready-made or you can buy a tin of activated charcoal powder and mix it with your regular toothpaste.
The problem with charcoal is it’s a known carcinogen, and you’re likely to brush too hard with the abrasive substance to get the results you’re after, which can permanently damage your tooth enamel.
North Lakes Dental Clinic
At Mango Hill Dental we’re Brisbane’s smile perfectionists and our friendly team is dedicated to making you look and feel beautiful with a dazzling smile and white, healthy teeth.
Call us on 07 3482 2209 to make an appointment for a consultation, or for more information about our dental services.