4 minute read
5 Things people need to
5 THINGS PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TEETH WHITENING.
What causes teeth to look yellow? Food & Drink
Advertisement
Coffee, tea and red wine are some major staining culprits. What do they have in common? Intense color pigments called chromogens that attach to the white, outer part of your tooth (enamel)
Tobacco Use
Two chemicals found in tobacco create stubborn stains (tar and nicotine). Tar is naturally dark. Nicotine is colorless untill it’s mixed with oxygen. Then, it turns into a yellowish, surface-staining substance.
Age
Below the hard, white outer shell of your teeth(enamel) is a softner area called dentin . Over time, the outer enamel layer gets thinner with brushing and more of the yellowish denti shows through.
Trauma
If you’ve been hit in the mouth, your tooth may change color because it reacts to an injury by laying down more dentin, which is a darker layer under the enamel.
Medications
Tooth darkening can be a side effect of certain antihistamines, antipsychotics and high blood pressure medications. Young children who are exposed to antibiotics like tetracycline and doxycycline when their teeth are forming (either in the womb or as a baby) may have discoloration of their adult teeth later in life. Chemotherapy and head and neck radiation can also darken teeth.
BELOW ARE SIMPLE WAYS YOU CAN NATURALLY USE TO WHITEN YOUR TEETH
OIL PULLING
Oil pulling is a traditional Indian folk remedy meant to improve oral hygiene and remove toxins from the body. The practice involves swishing oil around in your mouth to remove bacteria which can turn to plaque and cause teeth to look yellow.
Instructions
Put 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and push and pull through your teeth for 15 to 20minutes. Practicing this daily can reduce plaque and may brighten your teeth.
Brush with Baking Soda
Baking soda has natural whitening properties, which is why it’s a popular ingredient in commercial toothpaste. It’s a mild abrasive that can help scrub away surface stains on teeth. Additionally, baking soda creates an alkaline environment in your mouth, which prevents bacteria from growing. you should notice difference in the appearance of your teeth overtime.
Instructions
Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of water and brush your teeth with the paste. You can do this a few times per week.
Eating Fruits and Vegetables
A diet high in fruits and vegetables may be good for both your body and your teeth.
While they’re no substitute for brushing them, crunchy, raw fruits and vegetables can help rub plaque away as you chew.
Strawberries Whitening your teeth with a strawberry and baking soda mixture is a natural remedy that has been made popular by celebrities. Proponents of this method claim that the malic acid found in strawberries will remove discoloration on your teeth, while baking soda will buff away stains.
Pineaple
Some claim that pineapple can whiten teeth.
A study found that a toothpaste containing bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapples, was significantly more effective at removing tooth stains than a standard toothpaste.
Other few natural teeth whitening methods that are not proven include
1. Activated Charcoal Brushing with powdered charcoal supposedly pulls toxins from the mouth and removes stains from teeth.
2. Kaolin Clay Proponents of this method claim that brushing with clay helps remove stains from teeth.
3. Fruit Peels Rubbing orange, lemon or banana peels on your teeth is claimed to make them whiter.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar There is no evidence that using vinegar as a mouthwash helps whiten your teeth. On the contrary, it weaknens the enamel and promotes tooth decay. Advocates of these methods claim they make teeth significantly whiter, but no studies have evaluated their effectiveness. This also means that they have not been tested for side effects when used on teeth.
TEETH BLEACHING
How does teeth bleaching work? Teeth bleaching is a simple process, whitening products contain one of two tooth bleaches(hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide). These bleaches break stains into smaller pieces which makes the color less concentrates and your teeth brighter.
Does Whitening Work on All Teeth No. Which is why it’s important to talk to your dentist before deciding to bleach your teeth, as whiteners may not correct, all types of discoloration. For example, yellow teeth will probably bleach well, brown teeth may not respond as well and teeth with gray tones may not bleach at all.
Whitening will not work on caps,veneers, crowns or fillings. It will also won’t be effective if your tooth discoloration is caused by medications or a tooth injury.
Are There Any Side Effects from Teeth Whitening? Some people who use teeth bleaches may experience tooth sensitivity. That happens when the peroxide in the bleach gets through the enamel to the soft layer of dentin and irritates the nerve of your tooth.
Overuse of teeth bleaches can also damage the tooth enamel or gums, so be sure to follow directions and talk to your dentist.