Teeth Whitening

In this modern age, when everybody is so much concerned about his looks, teeth are not to be neglected. Everyone wants to have perfect and beautiful smile. But the most common hindrance in attractive smile is yellow teeth which is most common in people these days.
Staining of teeth can be due to several reasons:-

• Smoking
• Excessive consumption of tea or coffee
• Improper brushing habits
• High water fluoride concentrations
• Some medication
• Dead pulp or nerves of teeth.

However, water stains are difficult to take off but stains due to tea, coffee, or smoking can be easily removed. Proper oral hygiene measures should be followed that is brushing twice daily, and use of mouth wash, and regular visit to dentist for clean up.
Some people complain of yellowing of teeth which is natural in them. They want white shining teeth. The only  answer to it is bleaching. Bleaching is the procedure by which use of certain chemicals give shine to your teeth. You can compare it to facial bleach.
Bleaching can be done by various aids…bleaching strips, bleaching pen, bleaching gel, laser bleaching, and natural bleaching. It can be done at home also by applying bleaching gel to the teeth with thin trays available in market or by applying small strips that go over the front teeth. Certain rinses, gums are also available with dentists which help in whitening of teeth to certain extent.
All these materials contain oxidizing agents (hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) that lighten the color of teeth by penetrating deep inside enamel and oxidizing stain deposits present there.
Effect of bleaching stays for months to years depending upon food habits, frequency of consumption of tea, coffee etc. , and maintenance of oral hygiene.
But the process of bleaching is ineffective against stains due to medicine like tetracycline. To such stains veneers are the answer. Veneers are very thin caps or crowns. They are cemented to the teeth after some preliminary procedures done by dentist. Or such stains can be hidden by use of composite fillings.
Discoloration of teeth can also occur due to trauma to teeth which may lead to its death. Nerves get dead after the trauma and teeth turn black. These teeth can’t be turned white at home, but a procedure called internal bleaching is apt for these teeth. In this procedure, first root canal treatment of the concerned tooth is done to remove dead nerves, blood clots,   then the pulp chamber is filled with bleaching agent (carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide) and the tooth is temporary filled. This procedure is also known as “walking bleach” as results appear after the patient is moved out of the dental clinic.
There are certain harmful effects of bleaching also which should be well understood before you go for this procedure…

• Proper care should be taken to cover the gums and soft tissue before starting this chemical treatment to teeth as the oxidizing agent burns the tissue if comes in contact with it causing ulcerations, pain and sensitivity.
• Over bleaching may result in decalcification and white deposits on teeth surface. It can be due to use of over concentrated chemicals or excess time duration for bleaching.
• There can be temporary post operative sensitivity to teeth or irritation to gums. It subsides itself after 2-3 days.
• It is not recommended for children below 16 years as nerves of the teeth are enlarged up to this age and bleaching process may permanently irritate the nerve of teeth causing sensitive teeth.
• Hydrogen peroxide used in various bleaching agents is known to cause cancer as it has a potential to interact with DNA. Various studies have found higher cases of gum and tongue cancer in persons who were exposed to higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide during bleaching procedure.

Some herbal and home Remedies to Whiten Teeth:

• The leaves of the holy basil after being dried under the sun and powdered can be used for brushing the teeth. This will help make the teeth whiter and maintain good dental hygiene as well.
• Banyan: The aerial roots of the banyan tree can be used as tooth brush. Its astringent properties can help in whitening the teeth and at the same time prevent tooth decay.
• Neem: Use Neem twig as a tooth brush  and rub it on the teeth so as to remove the plague present on the teeth and leave them whiter.
• Include pungent, bitter and astringent foods in your diet. These tastes have astringent effects on the teeth which will make them clean.
• Prepare a paste of charcoal of babul wood, roasted alum and some rock salt. Rub this on the teeth to have shining white teeth.

Strawberries, tomatoes and amalaki contain good vitamin C content. These can be directly applied on the teeth. Vitamin C helps in removing the plaque on the teeth and makes them whiter.