Make teeth whiter – myths and facts explained

This article will hopefully dispel any myths or urban legend when it comes to whitening your teeth. When you are looking for ways to make teeth whiter, you will see a lot of false claims from some people. One popular claim is that as well as the teeth, crowns, fillings and veneers are also whitened, but this is a falsehood. Teeth whitening products only whiten the actual tooth, and if you have any work done on your teeth prior to using whitening products, these will remain their original colour. Even though some veneers etc. may look quite white, this can be deceiving as they are color matched to your own teeth. The only real way to get your teeth white and the restoration work on your teeth the same color, is to whiten your teeth prior to getting the work done.

A lot of people will say that teeth whitening products are just a way of making money, and nothing will compare to your dentist actually whitening your teeth. There have been many tests performed, and these were done under strict conditions, where subjects had no prior knowledge if the products were dental treatments or over the counter treatments. The results showed that the teeth were whitened to the same level, for both categories. In most cases, dentists use a lower concentration of the whitening agent (hydrogen peroxide) than most leading brands that are readily available. This in itself gives a better result than a dental treatment when the instructions are followed to the letter.

You may also read that teeth whitening is unsafe for teeth. When using any teeth whitening product, you must strictly follow the instructions provided, and this will ensure nothing bad happens when treating your teeth. Using most leading brands, you are just as likely to have a bad reaction to teeth whitening as you are in the dentist’s chair.