Whitening Toothpastes

As you grow older your teeth can become stained or discoloured. Whitening toothpastes are a great innovation in dentistry which can help to lighten the natural colour of your teeth without resorting to removing or replacing teeth. Whitening toothpastes offer the same effects as professional whitening over a longer period and at the right pace for you.

The structure of your teeth

Each of your teeth is made up of two main layers. The inner layer is made from a material called dentin, a calcified body tissue which is made up of microscopic channels which penetrate all the way to the outer layer, the enamel. The enamel is the hard outer layer which shields your teeth. As you eat and drink another layer is gradually formed over the top of your enamel (known as a pellicle film) and certain foods and drinks such as red wine, tea and coffee have been shown to increase the rate of discolouration. It's possible for this layer to be cleaned by brushing your teeth, scraping or certain chemical procedures. There's two main types of stain, Extrinsic stains appear mostly on the surface of teeth and can usually be brushed away initially. Intrinsic stains are stains which form inside the tooth and gradually appear on the outside. However the big problem is that the materials in your food and drink which cause the staining can penetrate through the porous enamel to where they can't be scraped or scoured off and this is where whitening toothpaste comes in.

Whitening toothpastes

Whitening toothpastes are made up for chemicals and strong abrasives which are able to remove some of the stains which occur on the upper layers of your teeth.

Whilst whitening toothpastes are great at removing stains from the outer layers, they're also able to erode tooth enamel during the process, especially if used over an extended period of time. There's no toothpastes currently on the market which can help with discolouration and stains occurring in the inner layers of your teeth. Maintaining a healthy diet and a decent level of oral care can help minimise discolouration or alternatively there's a number of professional types of teeth whitening available.

What causes stains?

Your diet plays a big part in the colour of your teeth and research has shown certain types of food can contribute to staining more than others. Examples include red wine, coffee, tea, soft drinks, oranges and some acidic foods like citrus fruits or vinegar can also contribute. Similarly smoking can play a major role in the staining of teeth as the nicotine leaves brown deposits which are gradually absorbed by the tooth causing intrinsic stains. If you grind your teeth can add to cracks in the teeth which can potentially cause a darkening in the edges of your teeth. Also accidents or damage to the teeth can also produce cracks which are susceptible to a build up of stains and debris.