Should I try bleaching teeth?
We all crave for those perfect set of whites, evenly shaped and radiantly white teeth. White teeth are not only a sign of good oral hygiene but also add an oomph factor to your personality, a mouth with full lips and white teeth is always attractive!
However as we grow older our teeth lose their natural whiteness because of a number a reasons like consumption of coffee or tea, drinking large amounts of soft drinks or other aerated drinks etc. Thus, to get back that whiteness we can use a number of products and go for various treatments.
Hydrogen peroxide
Teeth whitening is essentially called bleaching and bleaching methods generally involve the use of hydrogen peroxide which acts as an oxidising agent and removes stains that get embedded on the enamel. There are various bleaching methods available for an individual to choose from. There is in office bleaching, at home bleaching, over the counter kits and non-dental methods.
Teeth bleaching at home
At home bleaching and over the counter are bleaching techniques wherein the patients themselves apply the materials on their tooth whereas in case of in office bleaching the job of whitening the teeth falls in the hands of the dentist and is therefore more professional of all techniques. Non dental methods are temporary whitening solutions which are performed in malls, spas or salons.
Shortcomings of teeth bleaching
While bleaching might award you with perfectly white teeth, the technique has its own shortcomings:
- If the bleaching gel is not applied carefully it might hamper the gums and the exposed tissues leading to discolouring of the mucus membrane.
- Regular bleaching might give you the white teeth that you always wanted, but bleaching makes the teeth brittle and lead to tooth sensitivity. It is generally observed that symptoms of tooth sensitivity develop in the early stages of teeth bleaching.
- Tooth whitening would only change the colour of your teeth and not of the fillings and other restorative materials like a golden dental cap. Thus these items would stand out in between your white teeth.
- Bleaching also leads to hot or cold teeth sensitivity which causes pain when you consume cold or hot materials.
- Bleaching regularly also increases the risk of bleachorexia which is the obsession with whitening ones teeth.
- Home tooth bleaching too is detrimental if done without constraints. Regular home bleaching causes the enamel to erode.
If you do it right, teeth bleaching can be helpful!
Teeth whitening is thus like the two sides of the same coin. Everything done in the right amount wouldn’t hurt but you should always know when to draw the line. So when you are deciding whether to go for teeth whitening or not, look at both the sides and decide for yourself.
Sandra
Latest posts by Sandra (see all)
- What Is Whitening Cream - 16 March 2015
- What are dental implants? - 14 March 2015
- The Best Methods For Teeth Cleaning - 12 March 2015
