Teeth Whitening

The Difference Between Teeth Whitening and Teeth Bleaching

The most natural and healthy form of cleaning your teeth and having that ‘glossy white” smile is to have your teeth cleaned on a regular basis. Teeth Whitening is the natural way of cleaning your teeth, toothpaste is considered a tooth whitener. When you see a dental hygienist you are usually going to have your teeth whitened, which means that the hygienist will check your tooth enamel and remove all the dirt from your teeth. After all the dirt and debris is removed the hygienist will polish your teeth with a type of toothpaste. The recommendation is to have your teeth cleaned or whitened every six months to ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy.

Teeth Bleaching is only used when a patient wants their teeth to be extra white, this means that a peroxide is used to take all the color from your tooth and make it super white. Of course this is not natural and can cause damage to your teeth and enamel.

What Causes Tooth Discoloration

We are all born with white, shiny teeth but as we get older and start to chew and eat or drink certain foods the color of our teeth start to discolor or stain. There are two type of tooth stains:

Intrinsic Stains are referred to stains on the inside of your teeth. Some of the reasons why intrinsic stains occur are; aging, tooth trauma, too much fluoride or certain minerals. These stains are often difficult to clean and that is why some people prefer to bleach their teeth. At Carlsbad Cosmetic Dentist we use certain take-home products with a treatment plan to clean these stains, we do this with simple tooth whitening techniques.

Extrinsic Stains are the stains which appear on the front of your teeth. These stains are most commonly caused by smoking, caffeine, certain beverages and foods, and just by simply using your teeth. Extrinsic stains can be difficult to remove but with the help of a dental hygienist and your routine daily cleaning these stains can be lightened, or sometimes removed.