Five Things you Need to Know about Whitening

I've touched on this before in an earlier post about "when teeth whitening won't work". Although whitening your smile isn't for every person (and there are certain conditions that will not allow bleaching or stain removal to be 100% effective), there are some basic things that you need to be aware of that not many people are talking about when it comes to teeth bleaching.

1. Fillings, crowns, and veneers are not able to be bleached or whitened. When you got these things done, the dentist took the current color of your real teeth (which are able to be bleached) and made a perfect match in the coloring at that time. This stain is not a "stain" it is a sort of dye and coloring that goes through the entire material of your filling or veneer.

2. People who have gum disease, or cavities, should not be getting their teeth whitened. This is usually common knowledge to your dentist, but if you're getting the teeth whitening strips and doing the whitening by yourself, you must be aware that you are making an already bad situation worse. Make sure you get all dental work finished before you whiten your teeth. It's even recommended that you get your teeth cleaned before actually attempting to get your teeth whitened.

3. Some stains do not come out. This is a sad occurrence but it usually happens. As I said in an earlier post, if your stains are there because you were born with them, then it will be extremely difficult, or not even possible, to get them out. Talk with our dentist about this, though; he or she will know the exact steps to take in this case.

4. Once you have your teeth whitened you will most likely need to have your teeth "touched up" or maintained through occasional re-whitening. This is only the natural progression of teeth as you eat, drink, and breathe. It's not that the whitening was ineffective, it is that your teeth are still able to get new stains after the old ones have been removed.

5. If you decide to go to the dentist for your teeth to be whitened, then you're going to need to check and see if your dental insurance is covering the cost or not. Many dental whitening procedures can be fairly pricey (although the most effective), and most insurance plans DO NOT cover whitening. This is something that you need to make sure you research before committing to a whitening system from your dentist.

What do you think? Have anything to add? You are more than welcome to comment, complain, or whatever you feel is necessary! What experiences with teeth whitening have you had? Leave a comment!