subject: How Does Teeth Whitening Work? Try This Solution FREE! [print this page] How Does Teeth Whitening Work? Try This Solution FREE!
The outermost layer of a tooth is the enamel. This is a thin layer that partly covers the tooth and forms a wrap for the exposed crown. Following that is the dentin. The dentin is very similar to the enamel except it is not as hard and as shiny and while the enamel is generally white in appearance, the dentin is not. Extrinsic tooth stains form in the enamel while for the most part, intrinsic stains that show through the enamel occur in the dentin.
First, the tooth enamel is a highly mineralized very hard part of the tooth composed of strands of rod-like crystalline materials. These rods while very tightly packed have microscopic gaps in between them. The density of the crystalline rods differs from individual to individual and explains the reason why some people's tooth enamel is tougher than others. Nonetheless, almost all of us are born with bright shiny teeth.
Through everyday wear and tear, the gaps between the rods fill up with debris, tannins and other coloration that stains it. Anything that is put in the mouth will leave its mark. While brushing rids most of the materials that are accumulating, not all of it is removed. Over the years, the accumulation of the debris forms layer upon layer of film that show eventually as stain.
The good thing is that while the staining agents worked its way through the pores in the rods, the whitening agents also use that access to free the teeth of the stains through oxidation reaction. For this two main whitening agents are used, the hydrogen peroxide which is a strong bleaching agent for many bleaching purposes and the much milder carbamide peroxide.
Although hydrogen peroxide is usually the bleaching agent used in in-office procedures it could also be used at home for those who do not have hypersensitivity in the gums or in the teeth. For most practices though Carbamide peroxide is used for home whitening kits. Carbamide peroxide although slower acting also works very much like a hydrogen peroxide. When in the mouth, carbamide peroxide breaks down into urea and hydrogen peroxide with hydrogen peroxide being the bleaching agent.
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)