Many people feel that their teeth are not as white as they could be or have become stained or discolored and wish to restore them to their original whiteness. Your teeth can become stained by everyday things like coffee, tea or smoking. They can also become discolored naturally as you get older. Sometimes teeth are affected by antibiotics like tetracycline or discolored by too much fluoride. Professional teeth whitening can help an individual restore their teeth to their original luster or brighten naturally discolored teeth. Before using any whitening product, it is best that you take the time to consult an oral health care professional.

There are a lot of options for teeth whitening, from professional teeth whitening done by your dentist or any number of over-the-counter pastes gels and even high tech laser whitening. The effectiveness of each treatment varies, but certain types of discoloration respond less to bleaching treatments. Teeth that have been discolored by tetracycline or fluoride can be more difficult to whiten.

Some of the more effective procedures involve peroxide. If you are getting you professional teeth whitening done in your dentist’s office, chances are they will be using either light or heat to speed the bleaching process.

There are some side effects associated with teeth whitening. In some cases, patients have experienced increased tooth sensitivity. In some home programs, users who have been a bit over-zealous in their regimen have experienced tooth enamel wear. With overnight programs, some people experience gum irritation from the mouthpiece.

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