After trying various whiteening toothpastes and brushing 3 times a day with no joy, I want to have my teeth bleached but was concerned about restaining my teeth after the treatments and any other negative effects on my teeth.  Having asked my dentist he said that restaining should not happen and that he had never had it after any of the treatments he had done.  Does bleaching take the enamel off, does the sensitivity last long?  How does it actually get done? Are the results instant?  My dentist says about £250, is this reasonable?  \n\nSo many questions, so little time.  \n\nMy mother thinks the yellow tinge is due to lack of calcium so would they go any whighter if this is the case anyway, or would they only go to what they are naturally?\n\nIs it safe to use the peroxide/baking soda people talk about... sounds a bit dodgy!  If it is ok, how do you do it?
204797
If they have Chest Whitestrips over where you are, you should try them.  There are a few different types, the main difference is the length of time that you have to use them for.  They range in price from about $20.00-$45.00 (US).  This is a lot cheaper than having your teeth professionally whitened.  The only downfall is that the effects are not permanent.  It should last about 1-2 years depending on how you treat your teeth (smoking, drinking pop, coffee, and tea all are notorious for staining your teeth)  Hope this helps a little.
200114
It is crucial that you go back and have your peridontal maintenance done in 3 mos!I don't know the severity of your infection,but your hygienist or dentist will remeasure your periodontal pockets and chart you healing.Dental floss can only go as deep as 4mm,so even after your are first deep scaled,areas of over 4mm will exist.Basically your homecare is missing millimiters of bacteria(millions upon millions of anaerobic pathogens),so another thorough deplaqueing in needed until you readings are 0-4mm.Now I do feel that $180 is a bit high for a perio. maintenance visit,but I live in the south where our fees are less.There is a great product called Arestin,where we place antibiotic directly into any unhealed pockets.It greatly increases your chance of healing and may reduce your need for surgery later.Ask if your office does Arestin therapy.Make sure your dental provider is willing to explain your periodontal disease to you completely,I get the feeling you were not informed of the WHY you needed the 3 mos. cleaning interval.If you are not satisfied,go elsewhere or seek the help of a periodontist(gum disease specialist).80% of tooth loss today is due to gum disease not decay,so it is a serious problem!!It also affects over 80% of people over age 35.Invest in an excellent electric brush such as the Sonicare or Oral B triumph,they remove much more plaque than and manual brush.Also you may get an electric flosser such as the oral b hummingbird or reach access flosser to help you floss more efficiently.
340109
Hi!\nHow about Crest White Strips,they are cheap and they really work,or if that doesn't help she can get a professional tooth whitening in a dental office.They usually have few treatments to choose  from.Also she has to use whitening tooth paste at home,floss and have regular dental cleanings.Another factors that could be making her teeth yellow are:smoking,drinking too much coffee or too much tea and any other drinks or foods that stain the teeth.Even the regular mouth rinses can stain your teeth!\nSo tel your friend to do something about it,there are many choices!Good luck!
346398
The enamel will not reform.\nHowever, this will not be any problem at all. He will only have taken off a thin amount, so your tooth will still be completely covered by enamel.\nIt is very rare to get any decay here because these teeth are narrow and easy to clean. The only time I see decay in these areas are in people who simply NEVER brush. And, being a post-ortho patient, I'm sure you do a better than average cleaning job anyway! Fluoride is not necessary.
394406
i am not a dentist, but i have extremely sensitive teeth.\nwhen i use any toothpaste that isn't made for sensitive teeth, the sensitivity gets worse.\ni use crest sensitivity.\ni use very little ice in my drinks and never drink anything that is really hot. i tend to stick with cool, warm, or room temp drinks. same with foods.\nasprin or ibuprophen sometimes helps with the pain.\ni even brush my teeth in slightly warm water.\nmy dentist told me that the cause of my sensitivity is two-fold:\n1. use of mentadent toothpaste stripped the enamel off my teeth\n2. i brush too hard\n\nfrankly, i have just gotten used to the pain.\n\ni really hope you get your question answered in the way you need!! tooth pain is one of the worst! good luck
265487
are you aware that your teeth can only get but so white. If your teeth are white already why waste $30- 40 on white strips. I found that  Colgate luminous and Colgate plus whiting advance(gel)works great and I live by them \n\nI use the Colgate plus whiting advance(gel)at night b4 bed and Colgate luminous in the morning .. And my smile always get its compliments... ;-D
666320
I will try to make simple the decay process.\n\nToo much sugar?  Nope.  You can eat all the sugar you want.... you just have to eat it quickly!  and not go back for more too soon!  Bacteria do nothing in your mouth until they have sugar. Different sugars do make a bit of difference but for the most part the bacteria immediately begin using sugar as soon as they are fed.  They also store about a 1/2 hour supply.\nSo, upon getting sugar they begin to metabolize it and do what they do best with the energy...divide in half over and over again.\nDuring this time there are waste products produced.  Most notable is lactic ACID which softens teeth by removing MINERALS from them.  If the sugar exposure is stopped, the acid production will stop within about a half hour when the stores are used up and the acid slowly dilutes out of the plaque.  The softened teeth will just as readily harden back up using minerals floating around and actually may become harder than before the acid attack if less soluable minerals like FLUORIDE can be found.  BUT, if you have more sugar before the half hour is up you will allow the demineralization process to continue and the teeth which were softened will now be stripped of more of their minerals and like paper soaked in water will begin to come apart.\nNo amount of brushing can remove all the bacteria. They will be there ready to multiply especially in cracks and crevises. Brushing too soon after a sugar treat may actually strip away softened tooth surfaces if done too aggressively.\n\nDiet pop does NOT contain sugar.  If you soak a tooth in any carbonated beverage it will dissolve. That is not decay.  When we drink diet soda the acid is not left on the teeth for long and as a result the teeth soften little.  Lemon on the other hand is a strong acid in comparision and can quickly "eat" enamel and cause erosion (not decay) especially noticable along the gumline where the enamel is thing and the more easily dissolved root is.\n\nFluoride makes teeth less soluable in acid.  They do NOT dissolve better if they have a high fluorid content.  In fact this is how fluoride was discovered.  People with Brown Spotted teeth in Colorado, I believe, were found to have very little decay in their community. Fluoride was found in their water supply and the ideal amount that could be added without staining was determined.  The rest is history.\n\nFluoride gets incorporated most easily into teeth that are developing in the body or are recovering from and acid attack.\n\nFluoride in water and pills goes into developing teeth in children and makes them more acid resistant when the erupt into the mouth.  This gives the deepest protection.\nFluoride in toothpaste is absorbed only in the very outer layers of teeth.  It acts as a reservoir when there is an acid attack.  In the dental office ACIDulated fluoride is often used to create a controlled acid attack with Lots of fluoride around it to be used in the hardening back up stage. (no food or water for 1/2 hour)\n\nWhen a woman is pregnant...She snacks more.  Thus the weight gain.  Carbs are turned into sugar by saliva enzymes. Bread left on teeth is soon sugar left on teeth...Makes DECAY.  Teeth don't get soft by homone influence.  Only acid influence.\n\nDrugs don't cause decay.  They cause you to eat poorly and crash with gobs of crap in your mouth.  Acidic drugs like Meth smoke can cause EROSION of teeth.  Look at a meth users teeth and see how pitted they are from the acid.  Also they grind them like crazy and flatten them out.  Vomit?  Pretty acidic.\n\nPoor genes?  Teeth don't decay without acid.  One may have low mineral content in their teeth but those teeth will wear out just by chewing normally.\n\nProteins don't come out with acid attacks.  Minerals come out with acids.  Proteins are left.\n\nJuice has sugar and does cause decay.  Dilute it?? Nope.  The bacterial still get their half hour supply.\n\nFake sugar??  No decay.\n\nCough drops?
18545
Right!  There is not bleach, but peroxide in it, and can make your teeth sensitive.  Discontinue use.  Use Sensodyne toothpaste for a few weeks.  This doesn't happen to all people, but will most likely always happen to you.  Sorry.
528568
oh honey, I never liked those things, even when they weren't expired!!! All that money, time, and effort, you're better off going to your dentist to have a whitening procedure done!\n\nYes, I would stop using them immediately! See if they go away before monday, and if not, make an appt. with your dentist ASAP. \n\nGood luck!\n\nSigh.. the things we do for beauty huh! :)
451957
Please please please do not waste your money on this product. I recomend you try a whitening toothpaste for minor stains opposed to the rinse. It is all just a gimmick and will not work. What a mouth rinse does is reduce microbial germs in the mouth and freshens breath, it does not and will not whiten your teeth. Hope this helps, Good luck!!!
249363
Please ask your dentist before you try any home remedies, some may damage your teeth badly, and that could make them looking worse than where you're at now.  I personally do not recommend "Zoom" whitening or any 'in office' whitening treatments.  They do not last very long, are costly and could make your teeth very sensitive.  I do recommend over the counter products that contain 15% or less 'carbamide peroxide'. (hydrogen peroxide products are not very temperature stable, and so it is hard to tell whether they are damaged goods.)  \nOther than bleaching you teeth you could have bonding or veneers done.  Veneers are also high $$, but are very nice, and you could drastically improve your appearance.  Some veneers don't even involve drilling or numbing ("Lumineers").  I would ask your dentist what he suggests...
230008
No, whitening will not work on this tooth.  I think a porcelain crown would be your best bet.  It will probably look more natural than any other option you have.  Another choice though that hasn't been mentioned is nonvital bleaching.  My husband had it done on a front tooth and it made the darkness lighter, but it still is a little bit darker than the rest of his teeth.  I've seen mixed results with this procedure.  If you go to the 1st link below and scroll down to the pictures and where it says nonvital bleaching, it will show a case that didn't work out, but that tooth was really dark to begin with.  The second link shows one that worked out better.  But talk to your dentist about it and he will be able to give you choices and help you make the decision that is best for you.
40893
We started our search by typing some of the better-known toothpaste brands into our browser's location window. We tried www.crest.com, www.colgate.com, and www.mentadent.com and received some information on the various types of toothpastes, what they do, and how they do it. However, we were ultimately unsuccessful in finding the basic toothpaste ingredients. \nRealizing our quick approach was ineffective, we went to the old standby and typed "toothpaste ingredients" into the Yahoo! search box. \n\nAs expected, Yahoo! didn't have a Toothpaste Ingredients category, but our search wasn't a waste -- we received thousands of web pages that featured the words "toothpaste" and "ingredients." We were on our way to a clean and sparkling answer. \n\nWe clicked on the BDA Facts File, a subpage of the official British Dental Association web site. We scrolled down to find a list of active and inactive ingredients that may be included in toothpaste. \n\nActive Ingredients: \n\nFluoride \nAntibacterial agents, most often Triclosan is used to control plaque \nDesensitizing agents \nAnti-tartar agents \nSodium bicarbonate (baking soda) \nEnzymes, to enhance the antibacterial properties of saliva \nXylitol, a non-sugar sweetener, which reduces levels of cariogenic (decay causing) bacteria in the mouth and enhances remineralization \n(Natural toothpastes may contain a variety of ingredients - anything from oil of ginger to seaweed extract.) \nInactive ingredients: \n\nWater \nDetergents, to make the toothpaste foam \nBinding agents \nHumectants to retain moisture \nFlavoring, sweetening, and coloring agents like peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, wintergreen, and menthol \nPreservatives \nAbrasives for cleaning and polishing \nWe clicked on another link, this one an article from WebMD titled "What Are You Putting on Your Teeth?" The article explains that almost all toothpastes start with mild abrasives and detergents, as well as the near-universal ingredient, fluoride. After that, toothpastes vary quite a bit. \nPossible ingredients include: tartar-control agents, most often pyrophosphate; sensitivity reducers, such as potassium nitrate; triclosan; baking soda; and teeth whiteners. \n \n \nEmail this page - View most popular \n   Related Links \n\nCopyright © 2000 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy \nAll information available through or in connection with Ask Yahoo! is informational only and provided "as is" without warranties, representations, or guarantees of any kind. Yahoo! disclaims any and all implied warranties respecting Ask Yahoo!. Use of Ask Yahoo! is entirely at your own risk and is not a substitute for conducting your own research. \n \nPS...TRY THE SECOND LINK ALSO!  GOOD-LUCK!
376922
Hi there,\n\nHope this info helps.  From what I know, the amount of enamel that is shaved off really depends on your existing smile.  However, a good cosmetic dentist will only remove the smallest amount necessary and there are other dental procedures that require a lot more.  You'll most likely be given Novacain...just like any other standard dental procedure.  As far as waiting two weeks:  That's true.  Although sometimes it can take less, it just depends on who your dentist works with.  After your teeth are trimmed, the cosmetic dentist will have to make a mold of your existing smile and that will be sent to the lab....i'ts called a "wax up."  Each veneer is then customized based on that replica and sent back for the final fitting.  Depending on how extensive your case is, you may receive temporary veneers until your permanent veneers come back from the lab.  If you don't have temporaries put on, you can expect your teeth to feel a bit rough but they usually don't look that different, but not enough to feel embarassed about.  It's only two weeks, max.  As far as how they'll look after they're done.  Well, if you go to the right cosmetic dentist who understands your situation and what you're trying to improve, they'll look fantastic.  You can choose the shade of the teeth (some people don't want tic-tac white teeth) and also discuss the exact shape and size of each tooth.  You'll definitely want to have a consultation with a few COSMETIC dentists in your area as well.  I'm not sure where you're located but the website below is super helpful...you can learn about some dentists in your area and arrange a consultation...most of them are complimentary.  Good Luck!
422988
Sure, why not.  But if you over bleach your teeth will turn bluish and your enamel will errode, so be careful.
453275
It's actually not that harmfull. If you don't have that much to whiten to begin with, it's a cheaper way to get your teeth a bit whiter. It's just like anything else, don't over do it. Follow the directions, and then leave your teeth alone. If you want better results, then you should go to a dentist. But for the most part, it's very safe, and no, it you use it right, it won't wear at your enamel, but your teeth might be a bit sensitive, as with ANY whitening treatment.
616483
I use Chrest Whitestrips and I absolutely love them!  Ok, but besides what I like, here's what I can tell you.  Most whitening toothpastes don't work andt he ones that do work...they take too long to make a difference.  Cosmetic whitening can be expensive.  Chrest whitestips WORK!  After using them about two times, you can tell a difference.  They are kind of expensive...about $25-$35 depending on which kind you get, but they both work great.  If money is your concern, try the less expensive one.  It's kind of weird at first to feel something stuck to your teeth for 30 minutes.  And I suggest that when you take them off you have the toothbrush with toothpaste ready.  Don't lick your teeth after you take the strips off cuz the gel is NASTY!  Plus...some people, not all, experience soft teeth after using it.  It just feels like your teeth are soft and weak.  But I never experienced that.  I still use them, not everyday though.  Just when I'm going out and I want my teeth to look good.  Because let me tell you...yellow teeth is a BIG turn off.  Good luck with whatever you choose.