Teeth cleaned or whitened??

augusta24

Hi everyone,

I know there is already a three about home whitening products but I didn't want to derail that with my question.

I have braces on at the moment and they are due off in December. My ortho said I've been pretty good with my cleaning, no plaque or anything so I'm hoping I have no stains or anything after. I know he will give them a little polish but I'm thinking about maybe getting them cleaned and/or whitned afterward as a treat!
My teeth have never been too discoloured and I don't smoke or drink much coffee etc.

I'm just looking for advice about which option to go for and what is the difference between just having them cleaned or whitened?? I don't want to damage my teeth in anyway so am I right in thinking that getting them whitened is actually bad for your teeth?

Thanks :-)

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Whitening changes the colour of your teeth. Cleaning removes the dirt. Cleaning is like washing your car, whitening is like respraying you car a different colour. Whitening is perfectly safe if done correctly with quality products and does not damage your teeth in any way.

augusta24

Thanks fitzgeme! that makes perfect sense so now I feel a bit stupid asking sorry! At the risk of sounding really stupid, what is the difference between having my teeth cleaned at the dentists and doing it at home myself? My teeth are very clean on the whole so just wondering how much more they can do?

And also another naive question... Am I safe enough to just go to any registered dentist then for a whitening? I'm assuming as long as its with a dentist then that guarantees me that they use quality products?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

augusta24 wrote: »

Thanks fitzgeme! that makes perfect sense so now I feel a bit stupid asking sorry! At the risk of sounding really stupid, what is the difference between having my teeth cleaned at the dentists and doing it at home myself? My teeth are very clean on the whole so just wondering how much more they can do?

Unfortunately you cannot effectively remove tartar the hard deposits from your teeth at home, they build up over time despite good home cleaning. Professional cleaning can remove hard deposits and deep adherent surface stains, also its a good time to have the dentist examine you teeth for decay, gum disease, grinding, oral cancer, check existing restorations, wisdom teeth etc.

augusta24 wrote: »

And also another naive question... Am I safe enough to just go to any registered dentist then for a whitening? I'm assuming as long as its with a dentist then that guarantees me that they use quality products?

Indeed dentists will generally provide reputable bleaching, they are regulated and ethically bound to provide good treatment.

carzony

Sorry to hijack the thread but how much would you think a dentist would charge to bleach your teeth for you?

ash2008

I had brown stains on some of my teeth that had built up over the years, mostly from drinking tea. I had a cleaning at the dentist and he removed all the stains, which I was a bit surprised about as I thought if I ever wanted that, I'd have to pay for whitening.

So maybe let him clean them first and then see if you still want them whitened. The cleaning might be enough on its own.