Teeth whitening works by lifting stains sitting on or just under the enamel, but it only works on that kind of staining, not on every kind of discoloured tooth, which is the first thing we check before recommending it.
Most staining builds up gradually: tea, coffee, tobacco, turmeric-heavy food, and simply age all dull the enamel over years. That is surface and sub-surface staining, and it responds well to professional whitening.
What does not respond the same way is discolouration from inside the tooth. Old root canal treatment, certain childhood medications, or a dead nerve can darken a tooth from within. Whitening gel will not fix that. It usually needs a different approach entirely, sometimes an internal whitening technique or a veneer.
That is why we do not just hand out a whitening kit. The visit starts with an actual look at your teeth and gums, checking for cavities, gum sensitivity, and where the staining is really coming from, before we say yes to whitening.
Once we are doing it, the process is straightforward: a shade check, a clean if there is plaque in the way, then the whitening itself. Most patients see a noticeable shift in shade, and it holds longer if you are reasonable about tea, coffee and tobacco afterwards. Not zero, just reasonable.
If you have been putting off whitening because you are not sure it will even work on your teeth, that is exactly the right instinct. Come in and let us look first.
Read more about teeth whitening at our Balewadi clinic.
