The method of whitening the teeth, removing the stain, and discoloration is called as teeth whitening. Whitening is most popular dental practice and in modern terms, it is called as dental cosmetics because it improves how your teeth appear. Most of the dentists perform tooth whitening. However, it is not a one-time process; it needs to be repeated to maintain the brighter color. Many processes involved in teeth whitening like vital and non-vital whitening.
Enamel is the outer layer of the teeth and its natural color is created by the reflection and scattering of the light of the enamel combined with the dentin and color under it. Genes affect the thickness and softness of the enamel. Thinner enamel allows more color to show through the dentin. Smoother or rough enamel affects the reflection of light and therefore it looks dull in color.
Reason to Do Teeth Whitening
When teeth lost its luster
Use of tobacco
Drinking carbonated liquid, coffee, cola, red wine, and tea
Not brushing the teeth and taking good care of it
Aging is another factor for thinner enamel and darker dentin
How Is The Tooth Whitening Done?
There is two main type of teeth whitening process—one is vital whitening, only performed on the teeth with live nerves and another is Non-vital whitening, it is performed on the tooth having root-canal treatment and no longer have the live nerve.
Vital Whitening and Non-Vital Whitening
In this method, it uses a gel that is directly applied to the tooth surface. This gel contains the hydrogen peroxide. Vital teeth whitening improves the appearance of the teeth.
For Non-vital Whitening, the dentist uses a different process for whitening the teeth from inside. The doctor put the whitening material inside the tooth and put the temporary filling on the top of it. The tooth is left in this way for several days.