I would like to know why teeth whitening doesn’t work for me. I’ve had brown stains on six teeth since a childhood illness. I’ve tried five brands of at-home whitening, and none of them work.
My dentist even tried to whiten the stains, but now they look darker, and my other teeth are super white. The whitening made the stains more noticeable. Now I am afraid to let her try whitening my teeth again. Can you recommend a brand that maybe my dentist doesn’t know about? Thank you. Trey from Seattle
We recommend that you not allow your dentist to continue whitening your teeth. It seems that she does not understand the effects of teeth whitening on brown spots.
Why Doesn’t Teeth Whitening Work for You?
If teeth whitening does not work for you, it might be because of the product you are using, the type of tooth stains or spots, or strength of the bleaching gel.
Product type – Whitening toothpaste does not remove deeply embedded stains. And products like whitening strips, toothpaste, or baking soda will have limited results, if any.
Bleaching gel strength – If you use bleaching gel to whiten your teeth, the contents may not be potent enough. Dentists use bleaching gel that contains carbamide peroxide. A dentist can determine the strength of the bleaching gel you need to remove embedded stains.
Types of stains or spots – Stains that you acquire when your teeth are developing may not respond to bleaching gel. For example, tetracycline stains result from taking the antibiotic tetracycline while teeth are developing. Although tetracycline stains may respond to bleaching, porcelain veneers are more effective. Bleaching makes brown spots and fluorosis stains worse.
What Are Your Options When Teeth Whitening Does Not Work?
When teeth whitening does not work on stains or spots, an advanced cosmetic dentist can improve them with microabrasion, dental bonding, or porcelain veneers. The treatment a cosmetic dentist recommends depends on the type and severity of the stains or spots.
Microabrasion – A dentist uses hydrochloric acid and pumice to remove white spots gently. After treatment, your tooth color will be a creamy shade.
Dental bonding – Cosmetic dentists apply bonding directly onto your teeth. But it requires artistic ability to blend and layer bonding to mimic natural tooth color and appearance.
Porcelain veneers – Thin shells of custom-made porcelain can conceal brown spots in teeth. And a skilled cosmetic dentist places veneers with minimal tooth preparation. For details, read our post Do Porcelain Veneers Ruin Your Teeth?
Most dentists lack the advanced training, artistic talent, and experience to conceal stains and spots that do not respond to bleaching. Schedule a consultation with an accredited cosmetic dentist.
If teeth whitening does not work for you, it might be because of the product you are using, the type of tooth stains or spots, or strength of the bleaching gel. Product type – Whitening toothpaste does not remove deeply embedded stains.
You may not see it, but your teeth may have a dirty biofilm or layer of plaque buildup that is preventing the whitening agents from targeting your tooth stains. Consider teeth whitening after your next routine dental cleaning.
Some home kits don't contain enough whitening product to be effective. Also, if a dental professional isn't doing the whitening, the mouthguard provided may not fit properly so some of the bleaching gel may leak out onto your gums and into your mouth, causing blistering and sensitivity.
Darkening or relapse of the tooth shade is expected after whitening. Relapse of shade occurs almost immediately as the freshly whitened dehydrated tooth rehydrates. Repetitive prolonged exposure of the chemical is the only way to achieve optimal results.
Teeth whitening treatments work best on healthy teeth and gums. If you have underlying dental issues like tooth decay, gum disease, or enamel erosion, it can affect the effectiveness and safety of whitening treatments.
If teeth whitening does not work for you, it might be because of the product you are using, the type of tooth stains or spots, or strength of the bleaching gel.
If your teeth have any signs of decay or worn enamel, then you may also experience sensitivity if you undertake treatment. Additionally, you should note that if you have crowns or veneers, then these will not be whitened by the teeth whitening process.
People who have restorations such as fillings, implants, crowns and dental bridges. Children under 16 years of age. Patients with periodontal disease, tooth decay, cavities and exposed roots. People who are allergic to teeth bleaching whitening agents like peroxide.
A lot of the time, the edges of your teeth respond more quickly to bleaching than the inner areas since the bleach can penetrate the enamel more rapidly. The center of your tooth has more enamel than the outside, so it takes longer to show results.
Though teeth whitening is a noninvasive dental procedure, at-home kits, even when used by the average healthy patient, can come with risks and side effects. Tooth sensitivity, adverse reactions to dubious ingredients, and a poorly done or inconsistent job of teeth whitening can result.
Teeth can become temporarily dehydrated after using whitening strips. Your teeth may appear more yellow as a result of this dehydration because the enamel may become dry and lack moisture. Dehydrated enamel sometimes has a transparent appearance that makes the naturally yellowish dentin underneath visible.
The chemicals break down the stain molecules that cause teeth to darken. Plaque buildup can block these whitening chemicals from reaching the stained teeth. Schedule a dental cleaning appointment first before using teeth whitening strips. This can prepare your teeth well for the whitening process.
If your teeth have too much plaque coating their surfaces, your teeth whitening results may not be all that you've wished them to be. You might need to schedule other dental work as well before you're reading for teeth whitening treatments.
And here's the thing, hydrogen peroxide in the brown bottle doesn't even whiten your teeth. It might kill off some periodontal bacteria, but it also sets the natural flora in your mouth off kilter. Because hydrogen peroxide is an oxidant, it damages your cells, so why risk it?
If you have gray teeth or internal stains, dental whitening may not be an option. People who have had the antibiotic tetracycline or too much fluoride as a child may have gray stains that are impossible to remove with tooth whitening. People who have had root canal therapy may also have gray teeth.
Several factors can cause teeth staining, like food and drink intake, smoking, and certain medications. Products like coffee, cola, berries, tomato sauce, and wine are common culprits that can stain your teeth.
Teeth can become temporarily dehydrated after using whitening strips. Your teeth may appear more yellow as a result of this dehydration because the enamel may become dry and lack moisture. Dehydrated enamel sometimes has a transparent appearance that makes the naturally yellowish dentin underneath visible.
So, why do teeth not stay white after whitening? Well, there are a few reasons: What You Eat and Drink: Things like coffee, tea, and stuff with dark colors can stain your teeth. Smoking and Chewing Tobacco: Yeah, these can make your teeth go yellow too.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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I would like to know why teeth whitening doesn’t work for me. I’ve had brown stains on six teeth since a childhood illness. I’ve tried five brands of at-home whitening, and none of them work.