White teeth
have become the norm.
Today, it
is not enough for your teeth to be clean and healthy, they must also be white
so that you can show off your most beautiful smile without any complexes.
There are
many ways to get white teeth, with various techniques and products.
How do teeth
get stained?
Foods and
beverages such as coffee, tea or red wine leave colored particles that
penetrate the tooth enamel and give the tooth a yellowish or dark appearance.
These yellowish-brownish stains or staining of the teeth cannot be removed with
conventional tooth brushing, even with excellent oral hygiene. In addition to
food, some medications cause tooth discoloration, especially medications
containing iron and nitrates.
Are the
products sold to whiten teeth effective?
Special
whitening toothpastes:
You can
easily find over-the-counter special toothpastes that promise to whiten your
teeth. A large part of their effect is that they remove the staining caused by
coffee, black tea, nicotine or red wine, for example. However, some universal
toothpastes also remove staining perfectly and are in some cases significantly
cheaper.
Some
toothpastes/creams also contain Blue Covarine dye, which makes the teeth less
yellow for a short period of time. However, this does not last long. In addition, it should be noted that many
whitening toothpastes have a medium to high abrasive effect. This can harm even
healthy teeth and weaken them.
Toothpastes
with activated charcoal:
Activated
charcoal toothpastes have become popular for some time and they promise to make
teeth white. The idea is that charcoal absorbs dirt like a sponge. However,
dentists suspect that the abrasive power of charcoal in particular has a
detrimental effect on teeth.
Whiten your
teeth with "homemade" solutions?
If you look
around, you will find many "home" recipes to whiten your teeth: with
baking soda, baking powder, hydrogen peroxide or lemon.
These home
remedies for teeth whitening are supposed to whiten teeth in a natural way.
Baking soda
is one of the best known natural whitening agents for white teeth. But how does
baking soda whiten teeth? The sodium hydrogen carbonate it contains is both
harmful and effective. It strips the enamel and with it the stain.
However, if
baking soda is used repeatedly, the enamel disappears, which is obviously very
bad for the teeth. The aggressive side of baking soda can also promote tooth
decay. It is therefore not a good solution to whiten your teeth without
damaging them.
The same
goes for lemon juice and the other home remedies mentioned. Using baking
powder, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth is simply bad for
your oral health.
The
whitening of your teeth must be entrusted to a professional: a dentist.
How does a
dentist whiten teeth?
There are
several ways to get white teeth with the help of a professional:
- Home
whitening:
For at-home
whitening, the dentist makes a custom-made plastic splint. Then, he or she
pours the whitening gel into the splint and you insert the splint every hour at
home, according to the dentist's instructions. The whitening process can take
several weeks in total, depending on the effectiveness of the gel.
- In-office
whitening:
In-office
whitening is faster and less complicated for the patient. Here, the dentist
applies a higher dose of the special whitening product directly to the teeth.
After the application time, he or she removes it and checks if the whitening is
sufficient. If not, the procedure must be repeated. Up to three treatments are
often necessary for a permanent and optimal result.
- Power
bleaching:
With power
whitening, the whitening process is sometimes completed with a high-energy
laser or UV light. This creates heat that accelerates the bleaching process.
This technique is not yet widely used in dental offices, as there are concerns
about the harmful effects on the teeth.
How much does
tooth whitening at the dentist cost?
Depending
on the method used and the time required, you can expect to pay between 250 and
600 euros for a dental bleaching procedure. Whitening a single tooth is also
possible and costs between 70 and 150 euros. Prices can vary considerably from
one practice to another. It is recommended to get quotes from several practices
to compare rates.
