All you need to know about teeth whitening

Teeth whitening

Most people want to have white teeth. Therefore there are a lot of products on the market which you can white your teeth by yourself. I don’t recommend this. I work as a dentist in Amsterdam and I’ve seen this go wrong a couple of times. For the best result you have to go to a professional dentist.

Color of your teeth

Everyone has a different color of teeth. One has more yellow teeth than the other, some others have naturally more grayer teeth. Even the color of teeth and molars can be different by one person.

Teeth and molars are made up of enamel and dentine. Which color your teeth is depends on the color and thickness of the dentine. The initial color of the dentine is genetic. The enamel of your teeth is transparent. The canines are by the most people more yellow than the other teeth, this is because the canines have a thicker coat of dentine.

Why does the color of your teeth change?

The dye stuff in the products you eat and drink everyday can stuck on the dental plaque. The wrongdoers are coffee, red wine, thea and smoking cigarets. Age does also affects the color of your teeth. The shaping of your dentine doesn’t stop. The enamel of your teeth spend when you get older and the dentine gets thicker. This is why your teeth gets yellower when you get older.

source: tandarts amsterdam

The judgement of a professional

It is important that you first check a professional dentist when you want to whitening your teeth. It is important that your teeth are ‘healthy’. A dentist will check the following points: 

•  Holes in your teeth
• If your dental fillings doesn’t leak
• How many dark crowns you have
• Other factors like diseases ore medication

You have different colors of whitening. A dentist can choose the most natural look for you.

Methods

You have two methods of teeth whitening. Whitening can be done from the outside of the teeth but also from the inside of the teeth.

You can whitening death teeth from the inside. The dentist opens the tooth en puts a bleaching product inside of the tooth. This can take several treatments. Whitening from the outside gets done by something what looks like a mouthguard.  The dentist tells you how long you have to wear this.

What is your experience with teeth whitening?