All patients want to have white teeth, which boosts their self-confidence and relationships with others.
From the patients’ point of view, a beautiful smile, in addition to having perfectly aligned teeth, means above all the presence of as light a color as possible, a pure white, on the tooth surfaces.
Over time or through incorrect habits, teeth can change color, a process that can be reversed by professional hygiene or whitening.
There are many patients who wish to have whiter teeth with at least one shade and express this wish in the dentist’s office.
The results of whitening treatments vary depending on the amount and concentration of the substance used (most often oxygen peroxide), the type of whitening (in the dentist’s office, in guards, strips) and the patient’s terrain, with some patients having genetically yellower teeth.
Every human is characterized by certain particularities, and the same is true of teeth. Some teeth are yellower than others, while others turn yellow with age.
Tooth color can also be affected by a number of internal and external factors.
Stains can be caused by the following factors:
Naturally occurring as a result of the physiological ageing process.
As the years go by, the enamel layer of the teeth may thin and the dentine may become visible.
Naturally, the dentine is more yellowish in color, so teeth will also become yellower as the enamel layer thins.
Consumption of chromogenic foods – the word chromogenic means the property of a food or liquid to produce color changes when it comes into contact, in this case with the dental units. Thus, consumption of coffee, colored teas, coke, wine, especially red wine, or foods such as berries can cause pigmentation of the teeth, a process that is usually reversible by professional brushing or airflow hygiene.
Airflow is a device that, by projecting a jet of water and baking soda powder, has the ability to clean dental surfaces very well, much more effectively than brushing and the use of aids.
Fluorosis – fluoride poisoning – is the excessive consumption of fluoride, most often occurring as a result of supplementation, especially in childhood.
Fluorine poisoning or fluorosis is classified into several degrees of impairment, but characteristically, white spots appear in the early stages or even brownish streaks in advanced stages of impairment.
Drugs administered in childhood, of which tetracycline is representative, can cause dyschromia in dental units and alter the quality of hard structures.
Therefore, during pregnancy and during the first 7 years of life, when the development of temporary and permanent dental buds takes place, tetracycline administration is strictly forbidden.
Patients wish to whiten their teeth to give them a more youthful appearance, to increase their self-confidence, to mark important life events or simply before extensive rehabilitation of the oral cavity.
