Teeth Whitening

In most cases, the natural colour of teeth is within a range of light greyish-yellow shades. Teeth naturally darken with age and their appearance can be affected by the accumulation of surface stains acquired from the use of tobacco products and the consumption of certain foods and drinks. 

In addition to this, the perception of the colour of your teeth can be severely influenced by skin tone and make-up. Independent of the real colour of their teeth, people who have darker skin or use dark make-up have teeth that appear brighter.

Although teeth are not naturally meant to be completely white, many Canadians want a brighter smile. Responding to this desire, a white range of "whitening" options have become available to consumers. These products fall into two main categories: surface whiteners and bleaches.

It should be noted that claims related to tooth whitening are cosmetic in nature by Health Canada. These claims must be accurate so that the public is not misled, however, the regulators tolerate some exaggeration. Consequently, the results of whitening treatment may not be as convincing as you may expect.

Surface Whiteners

These products use special abrasives to improve the product's ability to remove surface stains. Most products in this category are either toothpastes or chewing gums. Because the special abrasives in these whitening products are often only finer versions of what is used in regular toothpaste, they are unlikely to cause excessive tooth wear. However, the effectiveness of these products is limited to surface stains and should not be used as a substitute for professional cleaning.

Bleaches

Several bleaching techniques and products are available to patients. Your dentist will use one of these two methods to whiten your teeth:

1. Vital bleaching is done on "living" teeth and can be used to whiten your teeth if they have become stained by food, tobacco, or darkened with age.
2. Non-vital bleaching is done on teeth that are no longer "alive". If your tooth has changed colour because of a root canal, non-vital bleaching can lighten your tooth from the inside out. 

There are three ways to bleach teeth. The choice that is best for you

depends on the number of teeth that need to be bleached and how badly they are stained (or discoloured). Your dentist may suggest:

1. Putting a special bleach on your stained teeth and using heat (and sometimes a light) to start the bleaching action.
2. Wearing a custom-made mouth guard filled with a special bleach for part of each day.
3. Brushing with a special bleach mixed in toothpaste.

Bleaching should only be done under a dentist's care. Tooth-bleaching under the control of a dental office may be safe and effective, but new in-office vital tooth-bleaching techniques, particularly the techniques that use lights and lasers, have undergone little scientific assessment. Home-use tooth-bleaching systems are available to the general public either from a dentist or retail outlets. Clinical studies support the safety and effectiveness of home-use bleaching gels when used appropriately. Tooth sensitivity and irritation to soft tissues can occur during bleaching treatment, but these effects are transient. The effects of long-term tooth-bleaching are unknown and need to be researched, especially because the effect is not permanent and many people end up undergoing periodic bleaching treatments.