Teeth Whitening: Facts and Myths

Have you seen a person smile and then asked yourself how they’ve managed to have such white looking teeth? Indeed, you brush your teeth and floss twice a day but just aren’t able to get your teeth as white as you’ve always wanted them to be. Well, tooth whitening can help. While there are numerous reasons people opt for a teeth whitening procedure, the most common is to improve their appearance.

Facts and myths about teeth whitening

• Myth: Whitening toothpastes are effective in whitening your teeth.
• Fact: No. For effective teeth whitening, the (whitening) chemicals should remain in contact with your teeth for an extended duration of time. Whitening toothpastes are ineffective because the whitening chemical in the toothpaste cannot start working since it gets washed away when people rinse their mouth after brushing.
• Myth: Lemons and strawberries aid in teeth whitening.
• Fact: Lemon juice and crushed strawberries may work in the short term but in the long term, they do more harm than good by the acid in these damaging your enable making your teeth more sensitive that may need dental attention later.
• Myth: Tooth whitening is permanent.
• Fact: Although, tooth whitening is provides long term benefits, several factors (aging, lifestyle, habits etc) can cause teeth discolouration of teeth over time necessitating the need for follow-up whitening touchups.
• Myth: Professional tooth whitening is very expensive.
• Fact: While professional tooth whitening services cost more than readymade DI whitening kits, it is not very expensive and indeed, quite affordable. Plus, with a professional doing it, it is safer and provides more effective whitening.
• Fact: UV Light isn’t necessary for teeth whitening. Contrary to what you might have seen in movies or on TV where dentists have been shown shining UV light into their patient’s mouth, UV light is not necessary for teeth whitening.
• Fact: You cannot whiten synthetic teeth. So, if you have synthetic crowns or implants, you will need to get these replaced to address the discoloration problem.

First impressions are crucial and there is nothing more embarrassing than stained teeth. Tooth staining can be prevented by following good oral hygiene practices, avoiding smoking, reducing consumption of beverages like wine, tea and coffee. If you are already battling with discoloured teeth and your DIY whitening routine isn’t working, it is time to visit Munro Hall Clinic and our team of expert dentists will help you regain.