Smile and the whole world smiles with you; frown and you frown alone. We have all heard this saying. A big open smile can make you more approachable and make you feel more confident. Smiling will also lift your spirits, but what if the condition and colour of your teeth stops you from doing just that? Everyone would love to have beautiful, sparkly, white teeth that you can show off, but not all are so lucky. In the quest of the perfect smile, the teeth whitening industry has boomed.

Here are a few facts about teeth whitening and points to consider on your quest to whiter teeth:

Firstly, the natural colour of teeth is not bright white. The colour of teeth varies from butter yellow to grey. Most people are born with ivory-coloured teeth. The colour of your teeth is determined by your genes.

Aging and certain lifestyle habits cause teeth to darken over time. Consumption of staining substances is a big cause of yellowing. Some of the big culprits are coffee, tea, smoking and red wine. Minimising consumption of these will take you a step further to that whiter smile.

Teeth whitening toothpastes and regular dental cleanings can help to remove stains on the outside of your teeth. These stains are called extrinsic stains. Some teeth whitening toothpastes are mildly abrasive and this also aids in the removing of stains. These toothpastes can thus aid in the whitening and brightening of teeth if the problem lies on the outside of the teeth.

The above will, however, not change the colour or intrinsic staining of the teeth. The layer underneath the clear enamel is called dentin and it is the hue of this layer that is seen. This layer is typically yellow, but may be brown, grey or black. In order to whiten (or bleach) this layer of the tooth, a peroxide solution has to be placed on the enamel. This, in a nutshell, is what will result in the whitening of the tooth.

Teeth whitening can be done using at-home kits or it can be done in the dentist’s chair. Using at-home kits will take longer to get the desired results as the bleaching solutions that dentists use are much stronger than in the at-home kits. Dentists can also use heat and light to speed up and intensify the process. At-home kits are very popular as they are the more affordable of the two options.

Teeth whitening can lighten your teeth by several shades, but it is important to keep in mind that the natural colour of your teeth will determine how light or white your end results will be. Teeth with a yellow hue will be the ‘easiest’ to lighten and will get the best results. Teeth that are brown or grey may not show such significant whitening results. It is very important to have realistic expectations of the procedure you choose to follow and the results that will be achieved.

Remember that restorations (such as veneers) cannot be whitened. If you have any restorations and have your teeth whitened, these will have to be replaced as not to stand out against the whitened teeth.

If you have very sensitive teeth, you have to realise that teeth whitening can be an uncomfortable (or even painful) process and that your teeth may become even more sensitive after.

It is very important to be well informed of how to care for your teeth after the whitening process. The staining substances that I mentioned before can affect your results and it is best to stay away from these. Ask someone who knows… I had my teeth whitened and I was not given proper instructions!

The best advice that I can give you, is to speak to your dentist before trying any teeth whitening procedures, even if you plan on using a kit at home. And remember to brush and floss at least twice a day and go for regular check-ups and cleanings.

And smile!!!

Article by: Charlene van der Westhuizen http://www.beautybulletin.com/blog-directory/our-bloggers/pretty-please-charlie