What affects the colour of the teeth?

The colour of the teeth is affected by internal and external factors.

 External pigments:

• from foods rich in tannin such as coffee, tea, and red wine.
• cigarettes, chlorhexidine (an antiseptic agent found in many mouthwashes) and iron.

Interior pigments:

• from necrosis of the tooth after denervation the tooth "blackens", from caries, from the dental amalgam "black filling" and from various antibiotics.

Bleaching methods:

• chemical bleaching
• photothermal
• photochemistry

Chemical bleaching is done with the "teeth" where the person should wear for some hours of the day or night for a period of some days or even weeks depending on the severity of the problem. The bleaching agent used is hydrogen peroxide or carbamide protoxide in various contents, from very light to very heavy, but always with an acidic pH.

Because the situation with the acid contents became uncontrollable at some point in countries such as England, a barrier was imposed and the treatment with splints in high contents was prohibited.

Photothermal bleaching was the next stage. The bleaching agents remained the same, they are simply activated with the help of light. The devices used in the world market were the polymerization devices (devices that emit "blue light" and are used in dentistry for the polymerization of the synthetic resin "white seal") and the most modern plasma light (radiation similar in composition to solar).

Photochemical bleaching is the treatment with KTP laser. The KTP laser is considered the safest and latest technology bleaching form. We intervene in the color in a visit of half an hour. The main advantage of the method with all the previous ones, is that the bleaching gel used has a basic pH (alkaline hydrogen peroxide), so it does not cause damage to the enamel. Along with the use of the KTP laser, the temperature in the teeth does not rise and we do not feel pain during the whitening. It has guaranteed results in even the darkest colours in which a second visit may be needed, while with all other methods it takes weeks to achieve the goal.

What you need to know:

• An essential step after any bleaching is fluoridation.
• If we smoke a lot, consume large amounts of coffee, no method will give us long-term results.
• With whitening we intervene only in the colour of the teeth and not in the shape. The colour that the method gives us is the normal white we had when we were young and not bleach white shades. Prolonged use of teeth whitening causes dehydration of the teeth and chalk appearance, making the enamel too brittle.
• If the person concerned has white fillings or prosthetic works, "pockets" on his front teeth, they are not whitened.
• Not all whitening candidates are interested. An ideal candidate is one who does not have fractures, periodontal problems (periodontitis), cracks and multiple fillings.
• At the same time, the teeth must be straight, because only then will they stand out. If we have a problematic colour and shape, then we choose veneers or bonding, correcting both problems.