Having whiter teeth is one of the best ways to make your teeth, your mouth, and yourself look younger and healthier. There are very few things that stand out more when you come into contact with someone than an attractive, healthy looking smile. One thing is certain for virtually everyone; our teeth tend to stain and darken over the years. Some people are more affected than others. Our teeth get their color first from the inside or dentin layer of the tooth. The outside or enamel layer is more translucent so the inside layer very often "shines through", but it's the outside layer that is exposed to the elements. These "staining elements" are things like drinking tea, coffee, red wine, and colored liquids. Smoking, chewing tobacco and other colored foods can also contribute to staining and discoloration. For many years, when someone wanted whiter teeth, they needed to have crowns or veneers (conservative partial crowns) placed over their discolored teeth. That still is a very desirable option for those with broken down, misaligned, and severely decayed or filled teeth. Many years ago we would actually replace old lighter crown(s) with a new darker crown(s) just to get all the front teeth to match. That was the treatment of choice before bleaching was discovered, because crowns and most white filling do not change color over the years and our teeth do. Today, we bleach the discolored natural teeth to match the lighter crown at much less expense and with much better results. Bleaching teeth is an easy process, but there are some things that need to be considered. As just mentioned, existing crowns, old discolored fillings, and decayed teeth will not predictably bleach and become lighter, so a plan needs to be made to bleach the teeth, replace discolored crowns and fillings, and restore decayed teeth in a logical order. This plan will help a patient to reach the desired goal of all teeth matching when the natural teeth surfaces are bleached to their lightest point. There are three common ways to bleach your teeth. The quickest way is to have it professionally done in a dental office under the supervision of a dentist or trained dental professional. The lips and gums are protected with cotton, gauze, or rubber/vinyl covers. The teeth then have a strong bleaching gel or solution placed on them, and even occasionally rinsed and reapplied for approximately one hour. Most patient's teeth will get much whiter, but in order to maintain the light color, this process needs to be repeated every year or two depending on how many "staining habits and behaviors" are practiced. The second way is to have custom fitting soft plastic "bleach trays" made by a dentist or dental professional. These trays are made from impressions taken, preferably when the gums are at a healthy state. Models made from the impressions of the top and bottom teeth are used to make a small, soft "bleach trays" that intimately fit the teeth. The most current design covers the gums slightly to provide a seal and decrease the amount of saliva that will dilute the bleach solution and minimize the amount of bleach that the patient will taste. Although most bleach solutions today have a pleasant flavor, keeping the bleach in contact with the teeth makes the process much more effective. The bleach trays are worn for 30 to 60 minutes while the patient is reading, watching television, working out, showering, getting dressed, grooming or whenever it fits best into one's schedule. The old process of wearing the trays over night is seldom used today. These trays can last for many, many years when any dental work performed is adapted to fit the trays. This is the best long-term method for keeping ones teeth white, because once you get to the lightest point; it's very simple to re-bleach the teeth down the line if they get stained. The third way to bleach teeth is with over the counter solutions, strips, and generic fitting trays. This is the least desirable because the solutions get all over the lips and gum tissue and because of this, the solutions aren't very strong. There is slightly more acidity in many of the solutions to make up for their decreased strength and that can in turn thin the enamel, or outer tooth layer, over a long period of time. This process is more effective for younger patients, but care should be taken not to over-do it. Results are less predictable and if a long-range plan is not made, matching all teeth is not always possible. Tray bleaching solutions come in many strengths and your dentist can match the proper strength to each patient. Professionally dispensed bleach solutions not only provide a more predictable result with non acidic ingredients, but now many include added calcium type ingredients to promote remineralization on the surface of the teeth. Some people have a natural tendency to have more sensitivity with their teeth than others. In my opinion, one of the best ways to control and prevent sensitivity entirely, an occasional side effect of bleaching, is to brush the teeth with a prescription neutral sodium fluoride gel with a desensitizer. This is done after bleaching the teeth and during the time the bleach trays are been made after the impressions are taken. In-office bleaching can be combined with the tray bleaching method to hasten results. We have had many years now to refine and improve our technique of effectively bleaching teeth and it has now become a very predictable procedure when done with the proper supervision and care. Ask your dentist what will work best for you, and you'll enjoy a lifetime of healthy looking clean white teeth that will make you smile with pride.