Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is quite popular, both with men and women, as people work to get a beautiful smile. There are many different options out there, for every temperament, budget, and time frame. Everyone knows that first impressions are important, and this means having nice teeth that look great when you smile. Over time, teeth begin to lose their brilliant white color, but today there are a variety of excellent whitening options available that can provide you with whiter teeth that look and feel great.

Two Types of Stains on Your Teeth

When it comes to the stains that you get on your teeth, you'll find that there are two different types of stains that can occur. This includes extrinsic stains and intrinsic stains.

Intrinsic stains are the ones that are on the interior part of the tooth. They can be caused by mineral exposure, trauma, aging, and too much fluoride. While it used to be that people thought these stains couldn't be whitened, today with new teeth whitening options, you can eliminate these stains as well.

Extrinsic strains are merely surface stains and are often caused by lifestyle, wear and tear, eating certain foods, and using certain drinks. Often they can be removed just by brushing, and whitening options easily help to eliminate them, especially when they are dealt with quickly.

What Causes Tooth Discoloration

So what exactly causes tooth discoloration to occur? There are a variety of things that can discolor teeth including the following:

-          Eating Habits - Eating and drinking certain things can end up causing teeth to be discolored over time. Drinking colas, tea, red wine, and coffee can cause stains to occur. Foods that are acidic can also end up causing tooth discoloration as well.

-          Smoking - The nicotine that is in cigarettes is one of the things that can cause teeth to lose their white color. The nicotine causes deposits to accrue that are brown, causing long term discoloration.

-          Age - Simply aging can cause the teeth to become discolored. Teeth darken because of strain and wear and tear over the years. As people get older, it becomes more difficult for teeth whitening to work as well.

-          Chemicals and Drugs - Many chemicals and drugs can cause stains on the teeth, including drugs like tetracycline, and too much of the chemical fluoride.

-          Trauma - Trauma to the teeth can cause cracks to occur, which can cause stains to more easily occur.

Teeth Whitening Options

To take care of the tooth discoloration that many people deal with, there are a variety of teeth whitening options available. Here are some of the most common options that you can use to make your teeth look beautiful again.

-          Office Whitening - One whitening option is in office teeth whitening. This is done in a dentist's office and includes peroxide gel that is highly concentrated. It is applied to the teeth while the gums are protected, and is left on the teeth for some time. In some cases it can take several sessions to get good results. This can cost $650 or more per visit.

-          Whitening Kits from the Dentist - Dentists can also give whitening kits that you can take home to use. They form fit special trays to your mouth, and you use a special gel in the trays on the teeth for an hour or more. These kits can cost from $100-400 each.

-          Over the Counter Options  - Today there are a variety of excellent over the counter teeth whitening options as well. There are bleach pens, gels, strips, toothpastes, and more. These options are usually reasonably priced, costing from $10 to $100, depending on the option you choose.