Teeth Whitening Works Because of Science

Brighter smiles begin with teeth whitening. This is one of the most inexpensive, easily available, and effective ways that you can improve the quality of your smile. Whiter teeth make for a better smile. With that in mind, the demand for products that can whiten teeth has increased significantly, and so has the supply. Today, you can get your teeth whitening done professionally by us, your dentist, or do it yourself with an over the counter solution.

Why so many people need to whiten their teeth.

Given that we are exposed, every day, to products that work to discolor our teeth, it is a good thing that teeth whitening is readily available. We have found that a large number of products contain either chemical or natural coloring that can easily discolor your teeth, and take away from that beautiful white smile. Of these products, perhaps the most prevalent is coffee, which contains a rich amount of chromogens that can cause staining. Research shows that most of us, 68%, want a cup of coffee within the first hour of waking up. Often, this is immediately before or immediately after brushing teeth. If we don’t have coffee that early, there are over 53 thousand coffee shops that can make sure we get our caffeine for the day, and for over 54% of all Americans over the age of 18, that means at least one cup every single day.

The scientific process behind why it works.

Teeth whitening is one of those processes that many people engage in, but few actually understand. Teeth whitening is a chemical process that is designed to alter how the brain actually perceives the teeth. To better understand how this works, one needs to understand how the brain sees colors. Natural light is bent by all objects, including your teeth, to a certain frequency. The brain interprets these frequencies as a color. When there are stains or discoloration on the teeth, they interfere with the natural appearance of the teeth, which is white. In order to change this, we put the teeth through an oxidization process, which you know as teeth whitening. Using a peroxide, because of its ability to easily penetrate below the surface of the enamel, we release free radicals into the chemical composition of your teeth. These free radicals immediately go to work, making your teeth appear to be more colorless. The more colorless your teeth, the whiter and brighter they appear to your brain.

There are two things that you should know before engaging in tooth whitening. First, you should always work with a teeth whitening dentist who can determine if there are any problems that you need to fix before starting this chemical process. Second, never overdo it when it comes to whitening, as too much exposure to the peroxides can lead to sensitivity in your teeth.

At our offices, the solution we use for teeth whitening is primarily carbamide peroxide. The solutions you can buy over the counter are typically hydrogen peroxide based since hydrogen peroxide is considered more stable for shelf life and home usage. However, our solution can penetrate below the surface of your tooth to start the oxidization process, where the over the counter solutions usually only remove surface stains.