When you eat food and drink liquids, they all have an effect on our teeth in many ways. The sugars and remnants of food need to be brushed away daily to prevent dental issues and unwanted cavities. Another aspect that the foods we eat and the drinks we drink affect us is the color of our teeth. In order to achieve the optimal teeth color, some people opt for permanent solutions like veneers or crowns. A temporary but effective solution is teeth whitening – how the patient takes care of their teeth will affect how long the effects last!
Of course, genetic factors affect the color of our teeth but how we care for them is also another significant factor. The first and foremost when it comes to the color of teeth and what determines its predisposed color is the genetics – how thick are your enamels, how dark is your dentin, how stained are your teeth?
What is dentin?
Dentin is basically tissue that is under the enamel and has a more brownish color to it. This tissue in conjunction to the thickness of your enamels determine what color your teeth are. The dentin has its natural color but also absorbs the stains and is ultimately one of the factors that make your teeth look darker as time passes. Because of the color, the darkness that shows through the enamel – this is what makes how thick the enamels naturally are so important.
What is enamel?
The enamel of your teeth is the outermost layer of the tooth. It is the hardest part of your tooth and is like a shell that covers the entire visible part of the tooth – the white part. The enamel is naturally translucent but have a white, blue hue to it. The thicker the enamel is, the whiter your smile looks. This is because the thickness of the enamel prevents how much of the dentin color passes through, affecting the color of your teeth. Thus, the thicker your enamel, less of your dentin shows through and vice versa – the thinner the enamel, more of the dentin’s color shows through.
How does teeth whitening work?
Contrary to the name, laser teeth whitening is not actually done with a laser as it can affect the enamel. Rather the light activates the whitening agents that are put on the teeth – once activated, the whitening agents travel through the enamel to the dentin, and works to make them lighter, making the teeth overall look whiter in color. Like all things, too much of a good thing can be bad. The whitening process should not last longer than 40 minutes. At the Oaks Dental Clinic, we do two 20 minute sessions of whitening (done one after the other) in one appointment with the zoom laser whitening system. The procedure takes about an hour in total due to the prep time before, in between, and after the whitening is done. Going under for longer than 40 minutes is not recommended as it can damage the teeth.
How white can my teeth go and how long does it last?
There is no way of knowing how white a patient’s teeth can go from the whitening because we are not able to predict the genetic factors in play that affect the whitening. However, on average, patients see results by 2-3 shades (sometimes more and sometimes less). How long the whitened effects last depend on your oral care habits and routine in conjunction to the types of foods and drinks the patient intakes daily. For example, a person who drinks 2 cups of coffee per day or smokes regularly will find that their teeth will turn darker faster than someone who does not drink coffee or smoke.
What can I do to keep my teeth as white as possible?
After the whitening is complete, there will be a list of things to avoid eating or drinking for a week or so. Avoid colored drinks like coffee and tea, food that are colored red and yellow, to prevent staining. For a few days after the whitening, it is VERY important to avoid colored foods because it will stain the teeth. This is because the active whitening ingredients that travelled through the enamel leaves the pores open and it takes a few days for it to close.
