Many people have discoloured teeth to a lesser or greater degree. This discoloration can be due to a combination of many causes, for example from smoking, drinking tea and coffee and even from mineral deposits found in normal drinking water. The effect of all these things is cumulative over time. But help is at hand with a variety of tooth whitening procedures now being available, ranging from inexpensive home treatments, to much more expensive techniques performed by your dentist.

Teeth whitening embraces a range of dental procedures designed to change tooth color from a state of discoloration to a whiter shade. Achieving brilliant whiteness, whilst possible, is not always achievable. Simple tooth whitening procedures include employing a whitening toothpaste, gel or whitening strips available from many stores. More sophisticated procedures involve a visit to your dentist who will discuss with you the options available, which will include bleaching and laser whitening.

What to expect from a whitening procedure depends very much upon the type of discoloration already present, not to mention the health of the teeth. Employing some of the more basic products will produce only very slight changes, whilst procedures carried out in your dentist's office, particularly bleaching and laser whitening, will have a much greater effect in enhancing overall whiteness.

Many of the products found in the shops will have only a very slight effect, since they only address superficial tooth discoloration, leaving more ingrained discoloration untouched. For a whitening procedure which penetrates deeper, use of bleaching is much more effective and will tackle discoloration caused by several factors including genetic discoloration and discoloration due to other health issues. However, achieving a uniform whitening across your teeth can be difficult to achieve, if the discoloration itself is not uniform.

Tooth whitening by using a whitening toothpaste or similar product is capable of removing only superficial stains. Bleaching is significantly more effective. Bleaching is carried out by fitting a tray over the teeth containing a bleaching agent. Through chemical reaction within the agent, oxygen is released which then penetrates the teeth. This has a bleaching effect which can be quite penetrating and capable of removing a variety of discolorations. However, the procedure will not affect fillings, crowns and other cosmetic items added to your teeth. This system works very well with yellowing teeth, but less well with brown or gray teeth.

It is typically necessary to have the whitening procedure repeated at regular intervals, so as to prevent the discoloration returning. Also note that whilst some procedures can be undertaken in their entirety in one session, others might require two or more return visits to the dentist before they are finished, depending upon the degree of whiteness required.

As regard to the cost of teeth whitening, this can range from just a few dollars for the most basic procedures carried out yourself at home, to many hundreds of dollars for bleaching and laser whitening at the dentist's surgery. The cheapest solution might be to use one of the various whitening kits available on the market. It can sometimes also possible to obtain more powerful whitening agents direct from your dentist. However, best results will normally be obtained by your dentist using the most up-to-date technology, particularly laser whitening.