Whitening

 

Tooth enamel is designed to protect your teeth from daily use during chewing, biting, crunching and grinding, as well as, insulating you from potentially painful temperatures and chemicals. Over the years, your enamel can suffer erosion and micro-cracking from acids, diet, medications, gastrointestinal problems or other factors such as trauma, stress grinding or friction.

The translucent enamel protects your tooth’s core material – dentin. Dentin is responsible for the natural color of your teeth, whether it’s white, off white, grey or yellowish. As tooth enamel wears down more of the dentin becomes visible, changing the appearance of your tooth color with age.

Teeth whitening removes the stains and debris, leaving the enamel cracks open and exposed. Some of the cracks are quickly re-mineralized by saliva, while others are filled again with organic debris.

Extrinsic stains are those that appear on the surface of the teeth as a result of exposure to dark-colored beverages, foods and tobacco, and routine wear and tear. Superficial extrinsic stains are minor and can be removed with brushing and dental cleaning. Stubborn extrinsic stains can be removed with more involved efforts, like teeth bleaching. Persistent extrinsic stains can penetrate into the dentin and become ingrained if they are not dealt with early.

Intrinsic stains are those that form on the interior of the teeth. Intrinsic stains result from trauma, aging, exposure to minerals during tooth formation and/or excessive ingestion of fluoride. Some deep-set intrinsic stains can be removed with supervised take-home teeth whitening that is maintained over a matter of months or even a year.