Daily Living

What is teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure that lightens the natural colour of your teeth, helping to achieve a brighter smile. Whilst teeth whitening is considered a cosmetic treatment rather than essential, this treatment can restore confidence in patients whilst giving the teeth a healthy appearance.
There are different ways to whiten teeth, including external whitening with gels or intrinsic bleaching, which is a more intensive treatment used for cases like root canal-treated teeth.

Can the teeth be naturally whitened?

Maintaining good oral hygiene is the most important step in keeping teeth naturally bright. Brushing twice a day, flossing, and regular dental check-ups help prevent staining and more serious issues like decay, which can affect the appearance of your teeth.
Be cautious about DIY whitening remedies found online. Many involve mixing abrasive powders like baking soda or charcoal with acidic liquids like lemon juice. These might seem to work at first, but they can wear down your enamel over time, making your teeth more vulnerable to damage and more sensitive over time.

So, Can Teeth Be Naturally Whitened?

Natural teeth whitening is challenging, but the best approach is prevention:

• Stick to a consistent oral hygiene routine.
• Avoid foods and drinks that stain teeth, such as coffee, tea, and red wine.
• Discuss with your dentist the various whitening options available.

Alternative solutions to naturally whitening the teeth?

You can have your teeth brightened in a few different ways at the dentist, these include:
The first option for an effective treatment for achieving a brighter smile is deep cleaning with a hygienist. During this procedure, a hygienist will thoroughly clean your teeth, remove plaque buildup and perform scaling and polishing to eliminate surface stains. While this doesn’t chemically whiten the teeth, it can enhance their natural brightness by restoring a clean, polished look.
The second-best solution for brightening the smile is to get professional teeth whitening, performed under the supervision of a dentist. Before beginning, the dentist will examine your teeth to ensure they are healthy enough for treatment. Once approved, a whitening gel is applied to the surface of the teeth, while care is taken to protect the gums from exposure to the whitening product.
To maintain and prolong the results, the dentist will take impressions of your teeth to create custom-made whitening trays. These trays hold a whitening solution designed for at-home use, allowing you to top up your treatment over time and keep your smile bright for longer.
 
If you're looking for a cosmetic option that not only brightens but also enhances the overall appearance of your teeth, composite bonding is a great alternative. This involves applying a tooth-coloured adhesive resin in thin layers over the surface of the teeth, improving their brightness and shape. Minimally invasive and long-lasting, composite bonding can provide a whiter smile with results that last longer than traditional whitening treatments when properly maintained.
A brighter smile can boost confidence and make you feel great about your teeth. If you’re considering teeth whitening, talk to your dentist about the best option for your needs.
 

The anatomy of a tooth

Our teeth are made up of different layers of tissue, each of which has an important role in protecting the teeth. These layers are the pulp, dentin, enamel and cementum. However, the tooth can be broken down into 3 sections:

• The crown – I.e. the surface of the tooth
• The neck – The neck is the middle of the tooth where the crown meets the root.
• The root – The root is the part of the tooth below the gumline containing all the soft tissues i.e. blood vessels and nerves.

These 3 sections can then be looked at by the material contained within that section:

1. Enamel: The protective outer layer

The enamel is the visible layer of the tooth above the gumline. It’s a tough material, so much so that it’s the hardest substance in the human body! The enamel acts as a hard shield protecting the sensitive and soft layers beneath the surface.
Enamel is mostly made up of a mineral called hydroxyapatite, which is known for its physical strength. The enamel also contains small amounts of water and organic matter.

2. Dentine: The layer beneath

Dentine is the second layer of a tooth, so to speak, it sits just below the enamel and protects the pulp of the tooth. Dentine is slightly softer than the enamel, but is still strong.  The dentine is an additional protective layer, shielding and transmitting sensations to the pulp, such as pressure or temperature.
Like enamel, dentine is made of hydroxyapatite but has a lower mineral content and a higher volume of water and organic materials. 

3. Cementum: The anchor of the tooth

Like enamel, cementum is the hard protective tissue which protects the tooth below the gum line. Its function is to shield the nerves and soft tissues at the tooth's root. The cementum behaves like glue, using small fibres to connect the cementum to the jaw bone, keeping the tooth in its place.

4. Pulp: The soft core of the tooth

Our teeth contain a tissue called the pulp. The pulp of our teeth is in the core of our tooth and is technically the softest tissue in the entire tooth. The pulp contains the blood vessels, tissues and nerves which all keep the tooth healthy and alive!

Are our teeth made from bones?

Our teeth are very different to our bones, in the way they function and in terms of what they are made from, the only similarities are their light white or yellow appearance and them belonging to the human body! The biggest differences between bone and teeth are:
 

• Teeth can't heal - Whilst a broken bone can repair itself, whereas a tooth can’t repair itself if it is broken.   
• Bones are always changing – Our bones regenerate, change and grow throughout our lifetime thanks to bone marrow which creates new blood cells. Teeth, on the other hand, stay the same once they’ve grown in.
• Teeth are home to living and non-living tissues – The pulp is the only part of the tooth considered to be ‘living’ with blood and nutrients being supplied to it. Whereas our bones are live tissues.

Our teeth’s layers all have an important purpose and function, the enamel is the tough outer layer dentine provides structure and sensation, cementum holds the tooth in place and the pulp keeps it alive and healthy! Unlike bones, our teeth can’t heal themselves, making good oral care an essential part of keeping them healthy.
 

Composite bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure used to improve the appearance of teeth. This technique involves the application of a tooth-coloured composite resin material to the tooth's surface to enhance aesthetics or correct minor imperfections, resulting in a significantly improved smile.