So you’d like to have whiter teeth, but you don’t want to go to the dentist for the treatment, or maybe you can’t afford the large expense it can be for some people (hey, it’s certainly no crime).

But don’t fret, because there’s still options available for people who want cheap tooth whitening.

Are you curious about Teeth bleaching or how to have whiter teeth? Whitening a common procedure that can either be done in the home, or at a dentists office, and more specifically, with a cosmetic dentist. Your teeth and your smile can completely change the way you look for better or for worse. As a you age your teeth naturally loose their whiteness and become darker. This loss of whiteness is due to natural changes in the mineral structure of the tooth. The enamel becomes less porous and become more susceptible to being stained by foods and bacteria. This staining is greatly exaggerated in smokers and drinkers of staining drinks like coffee or red wine.

Having white teeth is desirable,it tends to be associated with beauty and youth. If you live in the US, this fact is very hard to ignore, where everyone you see on television seems to have the perfect smile.

Whitening Procedures
The procedure to bleach teeth uses oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to lighten the shade of the tooth. The oxidizing agent penetrates the porosities in the rod-like crystal structure of enamel and oxidizes inter-prismatic stain deposits; over a period of time, the dentin layer, lying underneath the enamel, is also bleached.

The two main methods of bleaching both use oxidizing agents like hydrogen peroxide to lighten or bleach the teeth. One just uses high concentrations of the bleaching solution and is done in a dentist office, and the other uses a lower concentration, and us usually done at home.

High Concentrations: In Office
The high concentration method produces quick results but risks chemical burns to the gums, and sometimes also causes discomfort of the teeth for several hours or days afterward. To avoid burning the gums, dentists should use a protective layer of synthetic material to carefully cover the gums. The tooth pain that sometimes happens with sensitive teeth can be treated with an over the counter pain reliever.

Low Concentrations: At Home
The low concentration bleaching method, or take home method, uses a mouth guard or strip to hold a lower of the bleaching agent in contact with the teeth for a much longer period (from several hours to several days) . This is a slower process but has fewer risks to the soft tissues. The bleaching agent is typically much lower concentration of the bleaching solution.

Difficult Stains
In most cases, bleaching produces dramatic results and an improvement in the appearance and whiteness of most teeth, however, some stains are much more difficult to remove, and aren’t as easily removed by bleaching.

Tetracycline staining
Tetracycline stains may require prolonged bleaching, as it takes longer for the bleach to reach the dentin layer.

White-Spot Decalcifications
If you previously had white-spot decalcifications, bleaching may cause them to be highlighted and actually become more noticeable. So be aware of that.

Side Effects of Bleaching

• chemical burns
• pain and irritation to sensitive teeth
• Rebound, or teeth losing the bleached
• over-bleaching (aka: “Ross syndrome”)

Prevention
Don’t want to bleach your teeth? In the long run, prevention is best thing you can do to avoid and prevent your teeth from getting stained.

• Avoid foods and drinks that stain, such as coffee, tea and wine
• Avoid Smoking: Yellow teeth is really the last reason that you should quit smoking, but it that is what it takes to make you quit, then do it.
• Brush your teeth regularly with whitening toothpaste.
• Floss often.