Book Appointment Enquiry Form

Please complete the below form to chat with one of our friendly team. Once we receive your message, we will be in touch to answer any questions you have and book you in for an appointment. Alternatively, you can call us on (02) 9262 7778 or use our Online Chat between 8:00am until 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Book Appointment Enquiry Form

Please complete the below form to chat with one of our friendly team. Once we receive your message, we will be in touch to answer any questions you have and book you in for an appointment. Alternatively, you can call us on (02) 9262 7778 or use our Online Chat between 8:00am until 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Teeth Whitening – Myths vs Facts

We receive many calls about what teeth whitening procedures we perform, what the procedure actually involves and which one is our recommended method. So let’s start from the beginning…

What makes your teeth yellow?

There are two main reasons your teeth may appear darker. These are intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic tooth discolouration is a result of the natural colour of the inside of your tooth. Extrinsic tooth discolouration occurs due to staining on the outside layer of your tooth from consuming foods, drinks and smoking.

Intrinsic discolouration

Your teeth have a layer on the surface called film protein which protects the tooth enamel and under this layer of enamel there is a yellowish core called dentin. Some people naturally have darker dentin than others. Enamel can wear down and make the teeth appear darker. When the tooth enamel wears down or becomes thinner, the layer of dentin gets closer to the surface which can make the teeth appear more yellow. Intrinsic discolouration may be due to a number of factors including:

Intrinsic tooth discolouration unfortunately can-not be treated with tooth whitening products. Whiter teeth can be achieved with more invasive treatment options such as veneers and crowns. Preventative measures should be used to avoid invasive treatments.

Extrinsic discolouration

Teeth can become darker/yellow as a result of staining to the outside layer of the tooth enamel. This type of discolouration is generally easy to treat with good oral hygiene and regular dental hygiene appointments with your dentist. Extrinsic discolouration generally responds well to whitening treatments. Common extrinsic factors include:

What is in whitening products that make your teeth white?

Teeth whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide or a similar chemical agent which removed extrinsic staining for your enamel. In Australia, there are regulations ensuring these products contain no more than 6% hydrogen peroxide.

What are the options that are being advertised?

Whitening Toothpaste

Whilst toothpastes that claim to be “teeth whitening” can be useful for removing extrinsic staining, it will not whiten your enamel. Most dentists will not recommend a whitening tooth paste as they often contain abrasive substances. Prolonged use of an abrasive tooth paste can lead to thinning of the enamel and sensitivity.

Charcoal

Charcoal has recently made its way into the mainstream media as a popular alternative for whitening teeth. Recent studies into this method have not yet been successful in proving the effectiveness of charcoal as a teeth whitening option.

LED Lights

Some dentists believe LED lights can speed up the process of teeth whitening by accelerating chemical reactions. It is important to make sure that if you do choose a method of whitening with an LED light that proper UV protection is used. The evidence to support the effectiveness of LED lights is inconclusive and some dentist prefers not to use them.

In-Chair Whitening

Whilst this method is the quickest, it is also the most expensive and often painful method. This method has become less popular for this reason. Results often appear to be successful at first, although it is possible that teeth can appear whiter immediately after this treatment as a result of dehydration to the tooth.

Whitening Trays

This is our recommended method for achieving a whiter smile. It is minimally invasive and can produce great results at your own pace. We take an impression of your teeth and make custom fit trays. You manually fill these trays with gel and wear for 30minutes per day for 1-2 weeks to achieve optimum results. Results may vary. This method is recommended for long term results as the trays can be kept and re-used for future whitening treatments. Simply purchase more gel and repeat the process. 1 x Tube of Gel = $35 (approximately 10 x 30minutes sessions worth of gel).

How to prevent teeth discolouration

If you are interested in teeth whitening find out more about our take-home teeth whitening treatment

Information for this article has been sourced from Colgate and Crest. Please book an appointment for further recommendations and advice for the most suitable teeth whitening method for you.

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