London: A smile generally works as a visiting card for any successful person. To have neglected, yellow teeth are considered pretty bad, as you can see numerous TV commercials begging us to combat tooth problems and stressing the need for maintaining regular oral hygiene. There are at least three factors that affect the condition of our teeth quality of daily care, diet, and age.
Hence, the so-called “Hollywood smile” is not an inborn virtue but a result of continuous efforts. Everyone dreams of healthy and beautiful teeth. But often even healthy teeth tend to lose their original whiteness. Unfortunately, over a period of time not only pages of books turn yellow but our teeth as well.
This Will Whiten Your Teeth In 2 Minutes
Yellowing of teeth in principle is natural and normal, however, it makes our smile ugly, at the same time disclosing our age which otherwise we are so reluctant to talk about.
The dazzling brilliance of our teeth comes from enamel, a protective outer layer of the teeth. Due to aging and various factors (sugar is a major), the enamel tends to become transparent, revealing yellow-colored dentine – an internal substance of the teeth. Sugar interacts with bacteria in our mouth, producing lactic acid, which destroys the enamel. This is why the teeth of sweet-lovers are prone to yellowing. Tiny pores serve as an ideal hide-out for colorful pigments of tea, coffee, berries, juices, colas, and other rich-in-color products. Cigarettes also leave visible traces on teeth.
Modern dentistry offers a wide range of teeth whitening services, which can help restore the original shine and whiteness of your smile. Today coffee, tea, cigarettes, and food containing harmful food color have become a part of everyday life. Medical drugs are in no way behind in this regard – the most notorious decolorizing agents containing tetracycline and chlorhexidine easily available at any pharmacy store.
Ancient physicians perhaps used ordinary chalk or other abrasive material which like emery cleaned and polished the tooth surface. From the beginning of the 19th century, dentists began to introduce hydrogen peroxide in their practice.
“Nothing beautifies women like hydrogen peroxide” – this joke could be now safely paraphrased and applied to teeth as well! “H2O2”, interacts with tissue to release water and oxygen, which is known for its oxidizing properties. Penetrating into the enamel this super-oxidizer of all times neutralizes all colorizing agents trapped in the teeth.
The most common offenders of our teeth color are tobacco, coffee, and chocolate. All these delicacies are rich in natural dyes which virtually stick to the teeth.
Modern dentistry offers three basic methods of teeth whitening – domestic, professional, and combined. During the first visit, the dentist takes a mold of the patient’s teeth, then a special mouthguard appliance is prepared to be worn on the teeth. And only on his second or in some cases the third visit, the patient is shown what to do at home.
Professional tooth bleaching is conducted in a clinic and suggests the use of more powerful compositions; plus, it gives faster results. After treatment with hydrogen peroxide, a 35% concentrated solution of phosphoric acid is applied to the teeth. There is also laser bleaching, with a help of the argon laser which activates hydrogen peroxide solution on tooth enamel.
There are few truly “traditional” methods too; the most simple and effective (and the most dangerous as well) of which is baking soda. Frequent use of soda makes teeth look whiter, but at the same time, deprives them of their natural shine; moreover, it can cause erosion of tooth enamel.
Doctors call them “chalky teeth.” Even at the dentist’s clinic, a wrongly measured dose can give your teeth that unpleasant “chalky” impression. So, always take extra care while choosing the right dentist. The other favorite “traditional” method to whiten teeth is to rub them with fresh lemon rind or rinsing with lemon juice.
Some daredevils even apply a mixture of ash with salt or river sand! Whitening toothpaste plays more of a preventive rather than a curative role in treating discoloration but in no way can they alter the intrinsic color of teeth. Neither can toothpaste deliver effective bleaching results as claimed?
According to specialists, there are no specific medical contraindications for tooth whitening. However, patients suffering from tooth decay, gum disease, people wearing artificial crowns or braces, pregnant women, and children up to 16 years are advised to refrain from teeth bleaching procedures.
Tooth problems are always painful but do not forget that dental check-ups are necessary at least twice a year. Otherwise, you may end up with far more frequent visits to the dentist and a lot more expenditure.
