Almost everyone is a good candidate for teeth whitening. Whether you use at-home solutions or visit your dentist for professional teeth whitening, just about everyone benefits. As dental procedures go, tooth whitening is the least aggressive.
Moreover, it’s one of the best ways to attain a more pleasing smile quickly. With at-home kits, it takes several days (or weeks) to get results. Even then, they aren’t always the results you want. However, many dentists offer professional whitening services that take a little bit of your afternoon.
Are You a Candidate for Tooth Whitening? What to Know
You probably are a good candidate for teeth whitening. It’s one of the most common treatments in cosmetic dentistry. That’s because it’s a quick, affordable, and non-invasive means to improve your smile.
Moreover, everyone values the results of a whitening treatment. Whether you visit your dentist or make the effort at home, there are plenty of options. Additionally, just about everyone who tries a whitening solution sees moderate improvement at a minimum.
Still, it’s not a permanent solution. As such, people find it often requires “touch-up” treatments or maintenance for lasting results.
Who Benefits the Most from Tooth Whitening?
Typically, some of the best candidates for teeth whitening are people with mild stains. For example, people who drink coffee or smoke cigarettes often experience mild staining. These stains tend to be a bit yellow or yellow-brown.
Why are they so easy to treat? They occur on the outermost surface of the tooth. With such shallow permeation, it’s easy to lighten and remove these stains. However, results vary for people who partake of tea, coffee, or cigarettes heavily.
Unfortunately, these habits still have the potential to stain your teeth again after treatment.
Extrinsic Stains
Extrinsic stains are those surface-level stains. These are minor and superficial. In many cases, you can remove those with brushing and a little aggressive, consistent oral hygiene. Stubborn stains call for whitening, which often works with at-home kits.
However, it’s important to treat these stains quickly. Persistent stains penetrate the dentin and ingrain themselves in the teeth if not addressed early.
Intrinsic Stains
Intrinsic stains rest below the enamel surface of your teeth. This makes them more difficult to treat, especially with home whitening kits. However, someone with these stains is still a solid candidate for teeth whitening.
Oftentimes, they merely require additional applications. However, some professional procedures delve deeply into the enamel for a stronger whitening process.
Generally, an intrinsic stain is grayish or grey-brown. Because the gel needs to pass through the pores of the enamel, it takes certain treatments longer.
Additionally, grey is one of the most difficult colors to remove from the teeth. Still, the results you want are possible. It simply requires a bit more patience. Talk to your dentist about the power of their treatment to see whether it’ll work for you.
Is Anyone Not a Good Candidate for Teeth Whitening?
There are certain obvious instances in which whitening treatments aren’t the best idea.
- Pregnant or lactating women
- Children under 16
- Patients with gum disease, cavities, or exposed roots
- Those with unrealistic expectations (blindingly white results)
- People with dental restorations (implants, crowns, bridges, etc)
- Those with a peroxide allergy
There are a few instances when teeth whitening isn’t ideal. Oftentimes, this is due to a more severe dental issue or because they are in the midst of other treatment. Here are a few examples of people who aren’t ideal candidates.
- Chronic sensitivity in the teeth
- Oral cancer patients
- Those who suffer from periodontal disease
- People with excessive damage to the enamel
In these cases, ask your dentist before you attempt to use any at-home treatments to whiten your teeth. If you notice that your teeth appear translucent after using a kit, stop immediately and contact your dental office.
Generally speaking, we recommend waiting to use whitening until your teeth and gums are healthy. That means it’s time to treat those cavities and improve the health of your gums.
Dental Restorations and Teeth Whitening
From cosmetic crowns to dental implants, dental restorations match the color of your teeth. However, they match the color at that time.
This means that later whitening treatments will leave these crowns or implants a different shade from the white teeth. Unfortunately, there’s no solution to change the shade of implants or veneers aside from replacement.
Unlike enamel, which absorbs through its pores, dental restorations have a glaze or polish incapable of doing so. When you’re not a good candidate for teeth whitening, dental restoration methods help. It’s simply important to remember this fact as you seek treatment.
