– EXTRINSIC DISCOLORATION: This is when the outside of your teeth has discoloration due to coffee, tea, red wine, tobacco, dyed foods, etc. Sometimes you may notice a difference when you use an over-the-counter whitening teeth kit or whitening toothpaste. – INTRINSIC DISCOLORATION: This is when the discoloration comes from within the tooth itself. Common causes are medications, infection, childhood illness, trauma, and aging. Over-thecounter remedies will not work on intrinsic discoloration, due to the fact that they are missing or only have minute amounts of carbamide peroxide, the main ingredient needed to get your teeth whiter. It is entirely possible to have both extrinsic and intrinsic discoloration at the same time. So, you may be a heavy coffee drinker and purchase the best teeth whitening kit only to find that your teeth didn’t get as light as you’d hoped.
BY DR. EDMOND SUH
TALKING
TEETH
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DO WHITENING KITS REALLY WORK? ave you noticed that your teeth aren’t as white as they could be? It happens to many of us, and sometimes brushing isn’t enough to whiten them as much as we want. Plenty of whitening kits are available today ... but do they work?
OPTIONS FOR TEETH WHITENING There are different options for teeth whitening. The main three choices are: over-the-counter kits, kits dispensed by dentists, and whitening treatments administered by dentists. – Teeth whitening kits: These will be purchased at places like pharmacies and big box stores. – Kits dispensed by dentists: These teeth whitening kits are different from over-the-counter kits. Due to their ingredients,
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The answer is yes, and no. Confusing, I know. Whether the kits work depends on different factors, and the answer will be different for everyone because not all teeth are discolored for the same reason. First, you need to know your exact issue so that you can utilize the best teeth whitening kit for you. Spoiler alert – it may not be one purchased over the counter.
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CAUSES OF DISCOLORATION There are several different reasons why teeth can become discolored; however, for the most part, these reasons are broken down into two categories. 56
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