How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
How Does Tooth Whitening Work?
There are many ways to whiten your teeth — from whitening toothpastes and other products that can remove many surface stains to in office or take home professional whitening.
All whitening techniques work in one of two ways:
- Whitening procedures lighten stains and brighten or whiten the tooth with a peroxide or other agent.
- A light-activated whitening session in our office. This can produce dramatic results. Follow up visits will be necessary when new staining appears. This can remove coffee and tobacco stains from teeth and can whiten teeth 2-5 shades lighter.
- Custom whitening trays created by Dr. Johnson for in-home whitening and you typically wear them several hours a day until your desired shade is reached. We will take before and after shades so you can track your improvements. When you notice new staining, you can reuse the custom trays to touch up your whitening.
- Over-the-counter products for whitening teeth (those found in a drugstore) include boil and bite tray application, whitening gels applied with a brush, and whitening strips. These methods are not as effective and can cause sensitivity because the peroxide is not contained and irritates the gums.
- Non-bleaching procedures work by physical and/or chemical action to help remove surface stains. All toothpastes rely on mild abrasion to remove surface stains between dental visits. Whitening toothpastes have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal. A professional cleaning by a dentist or hygienist also uses abrasion and polishing to remove most external staining caused by food and tobacco.
Everyone responds differently to different whitening procedures. Some people respond well to whitening toothpastes, while people with gray teeth or other serious discoloration may require porcelain veneers or bonding (discussed elsewhere in this section) to achieve the smiles they’ve always wanted. Dr. Johnson can answer your questions and determine which mothod will work best for you.