Teeth Whitening

The human desire to whiten teeth has been around for a long time - the Ancient Romans used urine and goat milk to whiten their teeth!  However, our teeth are not naturally completely white.  The natural colour is usually within a range of light grey to yellow.  And, unfortunately, teeth also darken with age and their appearance can be affected by the accumulation of surface stains from drinking coffee and red wine, smoking as well as certain other foods and medications.

As a result, many people want a brighter smile. In response to this desire, a wide range of "whitening" options have become available to consumers.

How whitening works

 Safety of whitening products

The safety of whitening products is monitored by the Canadian and American Dental Associations (ADA).  In general, clinical research has shown that both OTC, take-home and in-office whitening products are safe and usually effective methods to whiten your teeth.  Whitening does not cause significant changes in tooth enamel, however it may produce temporary, minor side effects such as tooth sensitivity and irritation to your gums.

Are you a candidate for whitening?

The best candidates for whitening are people with only mild to moderate tooth discolouration.  The bad news is, there are certain types of discolouration and other dental or medical conditions that may reduce the chances that tooth whitening will work for you. These include:

• Porcelain veneers, dental crowns, caps, fillings, or dental bonding on the front teeth will not whiten.  You may have to replace them with new crowns or veneers if you want the teeth to appear whiter.

• Yellow teeth usually whiten well, however, brown teeth may not whiten as much. Teeth with grey tones, white spots, or discolouration from a "dead" tooth may not whiten at all.

• Some conditions such as sensitive teeth, worn enamel, bruxism or TMJ problems may worsen with some types of whitening procedures. Consult your dentist.

• Home tooth whitening is not as effective if tooth discolouration is caused by medications or a tooth injury.

Your dentist will determine the cause of your tooth discolouration and help you decide what the best whitening option is for you.

Whitening methods and products

There are wide variety of different whitening techniques and products available for patients today.  These include over-the-counter products (whitening toothpastes, rinses, gels, strips and trays) as well as whitening methods offered by your dentist such as in-office whitening, take-home whitening trays and “non-vital” bleaching for teeth that darken after root canal treatment.

The method that will work best for you will depend on a number of factors including:



• How badly your teeth are discoloured
• How many teeth need to be whitened
• Your whitening expectations

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Take-home whitening

You can also whiten your teeth in the comfort of your own home with the home whitening system.  This system is similar to the in-office whitening but for safety reasons it contains a lower concentration gel than the one used in the office.  The home whitening system can be used as a full whitening treatment.