The Use and Methods of Teeth Whitening
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A most popular cosmetic procedure is teeth whitening because with this method, it can greatly improve how your teeth will look. The common reasons why teeth get stained or develop into a yellowish color are: when people are smokers; people who are habitual drinkers of colored liquids, such as coffee, tea, cola, red wine; not taking care of the teeth, like not regular brushing of the teeth; and aging since the tooth enamel gets thinner and the dentin gets darker. There are also intrinsic stains, which are stains inside the tooth, and which can be caused by exposure to fluoride as a child while the teeth are still developing or the use of tetracycline antibiotics, which are taken by a pregnant mother or by a child who is 8 years old or younger. Another factor that can caused stain is when a person goes through a severe trauma. Learn more about how to bleach teeth at home, go here.
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The white tooth color of our natural teeth is actually created by the reflection and scattering of the natural light off the enamel, which combines with the color of the dentin under the enamel. The thickness and smoothness of the enamel is genetically established; therefore, your genes affect the condition of your teeth enamel. When the enamel is thinner, the color of the dentin under it will show, and, thus, creating a not-so-white teeth. If your gums have receded, the exposed roots of your teeth may appear discolored, and, therefore, this condition cannot be resolved by a whitening solution. Whitening treatment is also not applicable on porcelain or ceramic crowns or veneers. Before the whitening method is applied, it is important that the dentist checks on any cavities present, which need to be treated, because the whitening agent may pass through the decayed areas and may reach the inner parts of the tooth. You can view this source page for more info.
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Tooth whitening is more applied on extrinsic or surface stains and the method is not a one-time procedure, which will need repetition from time to time. There are two main types of whitening procedures: vital whitening which is performed on teeth that have live nerves and the non-vital whitening which is done on a tooth that has undergone a root-canal treatment, which has no live nerve. The first step, which your dentist will do, is to photograph your teeth to help him/her monitor the progress of the treatment by way of comparing the teeth before the treatment is performed. Next, the dentist will be interviewing you to determine the cause of the stain. The third step is the actual cleaning of your teeth, removing the film of bacteria, food and other substances that build up on your teeth, which all contributed to the staining. The last step is the whitening procedure, in which the dentist will apply first a substance that covers and protects the gums around the teeth, before the whitening agent is applied on the teeth surface.
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The most common form of whitening agent is a gel which contains some components of hydrogen peroxide. When the gel has been applied, the dentist will shine the light on your teeth using any of these: laser light, special lights or heat from these lights. If the results of the whitening procedure show that your teeth is still not satisfactorily white, the dentist may suggest for another session of bleaching treatment on the teeth a few weeks after. Please view this site http://www.ehow.com/how_4561324_naturally-whiten-teeth.html for further details.