White teeth are a symbol of health and beauty. But only a few people have white teeth by nature. Both genetics and lifestyle have an influence on the colour of teeth.
In order to still be able to enjoy bright teeth, more and more people are opting for bleaching. In this article we will introduce you to all currently known methods of whitening your teeth and tell you what you need to consider.

Teeth whitening: What stains teeth?

Not only teeth can discolour, but also artificial teeth and fillings made of plastic. Moreover, some people have naturally lighter teeth than others. So if you have yellowish teeth, this does not automatically mean that your dental care is not good. Age also changes the enamel and can lead to discoloration.

Nevertheless, there are a few foods that have been proven to cause discoloration.

Nicotine: Smoking causes discoloration of the teeth. It does not matter whether you smoke every day or only every few days. Nicotine also damages dental care in general, as it promotes bad breath and tooth decay.
Drinks: Tea, red wine and coffee are luxury foods, which unfortunately can also lead to discoloration of the teeth. This is because they contain fine particles of colour which are deposited on the surface of the teeth and penetrate directly into the enamel. This means that even daily tooth cleaning with toothpaste can no longer be effective against them.
Drugs: The permanent intake of antibiotics or other medicines containing tetracycline can also lead to discoloration of teeth. This risk is particularly acute in children under eight years of age, as their teeth are still developing.
Poor oral hygiene: Those who do not brush their teeth at least twice a day (or even better after every meal) suffer from an increased risk of plaque and tartar. These plaques can be the cause of discoloration and bad breath. Care should also be taken with mouthwashes containing ingredients such as chlorhexidine. Although these help with gum inflammation or sore throats, they make teeth yellowish. Regular use is therefore not recommended.

Teeth whitening: Bleaching – what’s behind it?

Whether a procedure at the dentist or a product for home use – the method of bleaching remains basically the same. The chemical substance carbamide peroxide is always the basis of every treatment.
Caramide peroxide is composed of caramide, a tasteless and colourless gel, and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is also used, for example, to dye hair. It ensures that the colour pigments deposited in the tooth enamel do not come off, but decolourise again.
While until a few years ago bleaching agents were only available in pharmacies, many products for whitening teeth are now on the market. In drugstores as well as on the internet you will find a large, almost confusing variety of suppliers.

What methods are there?

Whitening Gel
Whitening Strips
Whitening Powder
Whitening toothpaste
Whitening Pens

Whiten teeth with stripes

Whitening strips are probably the simplest way to brighten up. At least as far as the application is concerned. You stick the strips directly onto the teeth and should be careful that they do not come into contact with the gums. After the prescribed exposure time, you pull them off again and brush your teeth. Take care not to touch your teeth with your lips during the application time.

The disadvantage of the strips is that they usually do not cover all teeth and leave out the spaces between them.

It takes about 14 days until the strips provide a visible effect. The most popular product on Amazon is particularly gentle because it does not use peroxide at all.

Whitening teeth with the Bleaching Pen

Tooth whitening pens contain bleaching agents that are applied directly to the teeth with a thin brush. Logically, you have to keep your mouth open all the time, which is difficult for many people. And not only when applying the pencil, but also during the time it takes to work in.

Afterwards you clean your teeth again thoroughly with a toothbrush. Bleaching pens convince with their easy and quick handling and a reasonable price. However, it often takes a little longer for the teeth to whiten and the procedure must be repeated more often.

Watch out: You can find a particularly gentle bleaching pen without harmful peroxide at Amazon.

Whitening Teeth with powder

Probably the most recent hype in teeth whitening is the use of activated carbon. This comes in the form of a black powder and is used like a toothpaste for dental care. The method works, but dentists warn against it.

This is because activated carbon grinds the teeth and over time removes the enamel. If this happens, you will only enjoy your white teeth for a short time, as they will discolour again.

If you still want to use activated carbon to bleach your teeth, you should go back to the bestseller on Amazon. This also contains coconut, which also has a positive effect on dental care.

Whitening teeth with toothpaste

Probably the simplest method of bleaching is the use of special toothpaste – so-called whitening toothpaste. With this method, you don’t need to change at all, you just change the toothpaste.

However, it must be said that the result also only affects the surface of the teeth and can only cause minimal changes. Moreover, these pastes often contain ingredients that grind down the enamel.

Whitening teeth with gel

Whitening with gel is most similar to professional whitening at the dentist. You will receive a prefabricated splint, which is filled with gel and then placed on the teeth. Keep strictly to the given application time to achieve the best possible result.

Also important: Do not bring the gums and lips into contact with the gel, so that inflammation does not occur. Of the home methods, splints are probably the one that you can expect the best results with. However, unlike professional teeth whitening at the dentist, the result is much shorter lasting.

The advantage of the splints is that they adapt individually to your teeth and thus ensure uniform bleaching. Many bleaching sets also contain an LED light to further support the whitening effect. Depending on the provider, the application period ranges from one week to one month.

Whitening teeth: Risks

No method of whitening is complete without potential side effects. Therefore, you should always consult a dentist before you start bleaching. This is to make sure that your teeth are healthy and there are no caries or inflamed gums.
If the teeth are not healthy, the active ingredient of the products can penetrate into the tooth and damage it from the inside. The dentist can also determine whether your discolouration or yellow teeth affect the surface or the inside of the tooth. If the cause is in the tooth itself, only the dentist can achieve a visible improvement with professional whitening. All products used for personal use would be ineffective in this case.
Before you buy a whitening product, you should also make sure that it does not contain too much hydrogen peroxide, but a maximum of 10 percent. Dentists work with a higher dosage and achieve better results, but they also have more professional equipment and are trained to use it. After all, you do not want to cause irritated or inflamed gums during your own treatment. Therefore, it is also important that you follow the instructions of the dentist.
However, it is normal that the teeth can be irritated or particularly sensitive after an application. If they are basically healthy, this sensitivity will disappear after a few hours.

Whitening teeth at the dentist

If you really want to have significantly brighter teeth over a longer period of time, you can hardly avoid professional bleaching. The dentist works with a bleaching lamp or a soft laser and uses peroxide doses of over 30 percent. As a result, the effect is naturally much better.
In addition, you can expect a comprehensive and consistent result that is not guaranteed with many other methods. Whitening at the dentist usually lasts for several years, while competing products for home use often only last a few months for a lower effect.
Disadvantage: Treatment at the dentist is considerably more expensive. Depending on the procedure and provider, the costs can range from around 250 – 1000 euros. Health insurance companies do not cover purely aesthetic treatments.

Whitening teeth with home remedies

There are many myths about various home remedies that supposedly provide for white teeth. First and foremost is probably baking powder. The sodium hydrogen carbonate contained in it is both harmful and effective, as it grinds down both discoloration and enamel. With permanent use, the enamel dissolves and the dark dentin becomes visible. In addition, permanent grinding of the teeth can cause caries.
But lemon juice and other home remedies such as strawberry puree or even cigar ash are also harmful to the teeth in the long run. Before you are tempted to use any home remedies, you should always talk to your dentist about them.

Conclusion

Healthy teeth are considered the ideal of beauty and only few people have naturally white teeth for life. The market for teeth whitening products has grown rapidly, so there are now many different methods – from gel to powder.
A dentist should always be consulted before use to ensure that treatment is started with healthy teeth. Only in this case can the risks of treatment remain manageable. Otherwise, inflammations and effects on the enamel can easily occur.
Only professional tooth whitening at the dentist provides a significantly improved result for a longer period of time. But it is also considerably more expensive.
Caution is advised when using home remedies. These usually do not make teeth brighter, but discolour them in the long term.

Yellow teeth? Everything about causes and treatment can be found here.