Advice on Teeth Whitening Discussion Thread

Toothsmith

Never heard of this one.

I would only ever recommend whitening if done under professional supervision.

There are a lot of crap products out there. If you're lucky, they'll be useless - if you're unlucky they'll damage things.

stinky101

I got Whitening Strips from Crest (the premium version).

You can't buy it in england but i got mine off of ebay and when i went to America. You put the strips in twice a day for 30 minutes for 7 days. The only time i had a problem is when i did 1 hour of them at once - then my teeth became sensitive.

but i highly recomend them! i'v had no problems and so many peopel have commented on my teeth. I think it cost £30, whereas my sister got hers done at the dentist for £hundreds and gave the same result!

Toothsmith

You'll only know if you got the same result in a few years time.

Just because they both look whiter now, and still seem healthy, doesn't mean no damage has been done and there won't be any consequences.

Jet

I'm 33 years old and visit the dentist every 6 months for a check up and every 3 months for a clean. :j

My teeth tend to get terribly stained. Not the main part of the tooth but around the gum line gets black. The dentist said it was something to do with getting older and staining sticking to calculus - or something like that. It seems worse on one side of mouth than the other.

I clean my teeth twice a day and floss a couple of times a week. I've cut back on tea and coffee and even drink white wine now rather than red.

I was wondering if there is anything else I can do to keep the staining down? Would an electric toothbrush be better than a manual?

floyd

Do you use mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine or something similar? This can cause terrible staining if you use it when there are still plaque or calculus deposits on your teeth.
Does it disappear after having a scale and polish?

Jet

floyd wrote: »

Do you use mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine or something similar? This can cause terrible staining if you use it when there are still plaque or calculus deposits on your teeth.
Does it disappear after having a scale and polish?

I don't use any mouthwash.

Yes it does go after a scale and polish and this is why I go every 3 months, rather than 6 monthly.

mogwai

if the staining is sticking to calculus buildup, maybe try dealing with your plaque and tarter build-up first (which we should all be doing anyway).

That would kill two birds with one stone - it will deal with your stain problem, as well as maintain your oral hygiene (i think calculus and tarter buildup leads to gum disease, which in turn leads to loss of teeth as you get older - yikes!).

An electric toothbrush or a good brushing technique (ask your hygienist) will help, as well as flossing. I also use one of those hook things to scrape off the plaque when Ive been lazy flossing, think its ok to do that but you just need to be careful around the gumline not to stab or prod it..

Also, those tarter revealing tablets are really good for taking an objective look at your brushing technique - I did it and realised I wasn't brushing so well at the sides, and around my canines. I've since rectified that, and a second go with the tablets revealed that my brushing technique has improved.

good luck!

Toothsmith

It's a bit hard to advise here without seeing the problem. i take it you don't smoke either?

I would ask your dentist or hygienist for a bit more advice in keeping it at bay.

Do you have a cup of tea or coffe pretty soon after brushing your teeth?

Sometimes a reaction between the toothpaste residue and the tea/coffe can cause staining. Don't have anything likely to stain for 1/2 hour after toothbrushing.

Sometimes it's just the type of bacteria that happen to inhabit your mouth. There are a few types that are pigmented, and if you just happen to have more of those in your mouth than any other, your teeth will stain easily.

Jet

Hi,

No I don't smoke.

I don't drink tea or coffee for about 2 hours after I've cleaned my teeth. I might have a glass of orange juice but it's normally over half an hour after cleaning my teeth.

That's what my dentist said, that some type of bacteria stain more than others.

The dentist just said that some people are more prone to it than others.

So, I guess there's not much I can do then?

Toothsmith

Just get your tooth cleaning as good as it possibly can be.

I know it may sound a bit childish, but it's worth getting some of the red disclosing tablets that you sometimes buy for kids to stain the plaque on their teeth.

Brush your teeth as normal, then chew 1/2 a tablet and swoosh the pink stained saliva around your teeth.

Gently rinse and have a good close look at your teeth in the mirror.

I bet the areas stained pink (Which show up the plaque you've missed with the brush) will be the areas prone to staining.

Give them a second good brush concentrating on these areas, and keep brushing until you've got rid of all the pink on your teeth.

Do this for a few nights each week over a few weeks, and I bet things will improve as you improve your brushing technique.