Teeth whitening

Bleaching and Whitening
Let's get something straight: the difference between whitening and bleaching.
Whitening sounds so nice, whereas bleaching leaves a strange aftertaste.

According to the Food and Drug Asminstration, the term "bleaching" can only be used when the teeth can be whitened beyond their natural color. A whitening beyond the tooth's natural colour can only happen if you use bleach --typically hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.

"Whitening," on the other hand, refers to restoring a tooth's surface color by removing dirt and debris. Toothpaste, since it cleans, is considered a whitener. Since "whitening" sounds better than "bleaching", it is more frequently used - even when describing products that contain bleach.

How come my teeth become yellow
We start out with pearly whites, but over the years, the outer enamel layer wears thin and the yellow color of dentin (the material the core of
our teeth are made of) shine through. Also the enamel layer suffers microcracks (they are so small you need a microscrope to see them). In these
microcracks food gets stuck. Teeth whitening removes the stains and debris, opening up the small cracks. Often these cracks are re-mineralized with saliva, but sometimes food will again attach itself to these cracks.

What are your options
Your dentist can whiten your teeth for you and recreate that winning smile. However, this is a cosmetic procedure and like all cosmetic procedures most likely not reimbursed by your insurance company. In-office teeth whitening on average costs $650 per visit. During your approximately hour long visit, your dentist will first protect your gums with paint-on rubber, before applying a relatively high-concentration peroxide gel to your teeth. Normally, you will have two or three sessions of 15 to 20 minutes of this procedure.

The alternative is that you buy your teeth whitening utensils yourself.
If your dentist gives you a kit to take home it will cost you between $100 to $400. Of course this is more expensive, but also more professional than the over the counter whitening kits that cost between $20 and $100. The peroxide percentage is lower than what your dentist applies, however, you can apply this small dosis more often to achieve the same effect.

Hydrogen Peroxide vs. Carbamide Peroxide
When the dentist applies his bleach he uses the more powerful and fast-acting hydrogen peroxide. For teeth bleaching, hydrogen peroxide concentrations range from nine percent to forty percent.

The bleach you get for your take home kits use the slower acting carbamide peroxide, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide has about a third of the strength of hydrogen peroxide. This means that a 15 percent solution of carbamide peroxide equals a five percent solution of hydrogen peroxide.

I hope this has give you some pointers to ask your dentist next time more questions about teeth whitening.