Bleaching: whitening teeth - but the right way!

Why whiten teeth?

Over time, our teeth lose their beautiful white colour and become yellowish. This is partly due to discolouration caused by foods such as coffee, tea, cola and red wine. This happens when food residue settles in the small scratches and cracks on the tooth surface or in the pores of the enamel. 

On the other hand, our white, slightly transparent enamel - the top layer of teeth - becomes thinner over the course of our lives, allowing the layer underneath - the dentin - to show through more and more. This is completely normal and a natural sign of wear and tear. Unlike most other bodily substances, tooth enamel cannot grow back naturally. As the colour of the dentin tends to have a yellowish or even brownish tone, the teeth appear more yellowish overall. The colour of your dentin is genetically determined. If your teeth are not naturally white, despite thorough dental hygiene, it may be because your dentin has a strong yellow or brown colour.

The tartar, which forms when we do not brush our teeth regularly and thoroughly enough, also has a yellowish colour. Smokers also cause yellowish discolouration due to nicotine. 

Even though it is normal for teeth to look yellowish over time and this is not necessarily a sign of poor oral hygiene, many people feel uncomfortable and want whiter teeth. The reason for this is the universal beauty ideal of white teeth. With modern technology, your dentist can whiten your teeth by a few shades.

Teeth whitening at the dentist

If you are interested in bleaching, you should consult your dentist. It is important that a professional first examines your teeth and decides whether you can have your teeth whitened at all. Teeth whitening at the dentist is not only safer than using products from the drugstore - it is also much more effective. Dentists are allowed to use bleaching agents with a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide. We explain why drugstore products are unsuitable in the section "Whitening teeth with drugstore products".

How does bleaching work? 

Bleaching involves applying a gel containing hydrogen peroxide to the teeth. When it penetrates the tooth, it releases oxygen radicals that cause the colour pigments in the tooth to lose their colour - similar to bleaching. 

You choose the strength of the whitening yourself. It is also influenced by the bleaching method, the natural base colour and the condition of the teeth. 

Requirements for teeth whitening 

Not everyone can have their teeth whitened. The following requirements must be met in order to get white teeth through bleaching:

• Your teeth are free from caries.
• You have no damaged fillings or crowns.
• There is no inflammation of the gums or periodontitis.
• The dentist has thoroughly examined the teeth before treatment.
• Professional teeth cleaning has been carried out in the last two months or will be carried out before bleaching.

As you can see, only healthy teeth can be whitened. If you want whiter teeth but suffer from tooth decay or gum problems, you must first have these problems treated before you can start bleaching. The reason for this is that hydrogen peroxide likes to form fast compounds, which can cause sensitivity in the case of leaky crowns and irritation in the case of inflamed gums. In the case of caries, even the dental nerve can be severely damaged. So make sure you have a thorough check-up to avoid unnecessary side effects.

Bleaching methods at a glance

There are various methods of teeth whitening available at the dentist. We present them to you here - including advantages and disadvantages:

Professional teeth cleaning 

Professional teeth cleaning is not bleaching in the true sense of the word, as no bleaching agent is used. However, a dental professional removes discolouration caused by tartar and plaque, which often leads to visible whitening. Even if you opt for a different form of bleaching, professional teeth cleaning is the first step.

Advantages:

• Good for oral hygiene
• Removes discolouration caused by tartar and food

Disadvantages:

• Only removes superficial discolouration and cannot whiten the inside of the tooth

In-office bleaching 

With in-office whitening, you are treated directly in the dental practice and are finished after just one session. A dental hygienist covers your gums with a protective gel or a rubber cloth. A high-dose bleaching gel with hydrogen peroxide is then applied. In so-called power bleaching, the gel is also irradiated with UV light. If necessary, the process is repeated if the desired colour shade has not yet been achieved. The dentist then polishes your teeth to smooth out grooves and scratches to prevent bacteria and discolouration from settling. The bleaching effect should last for around one to three years.

Advantages:

• Little time required
• Immediately visible result
• Professional treatment by a dental professional
• Long-lasting effect

Disadvantages:

• Relatively high costs
• Relatively aggressive bleaching 
• Short-term increased sensitivity to pain likely

Home bleaching 

With home bleaching, you don't have your teeth whitened at the dentist's surgery, but do it yourself at home. The big difference to products from the drugstore is that you get a customised plastic tray that fits your teeth exactly. Your dentist will explain to you exactly how to use the tray and the bleaching gel. You will wear the tray for several sessions, each lasting a few hours a day. You can decide for yourself how white you want your teeth to be and stop the treatment as soon as you have reached your desired colour. The treatment usually lasts between two and six weeks. The hydrogen peroxide concentration is lower with this method than with in-office bleaching, which is why several applications are necessary.

Advantages:

• Slowly approach the desired colour tone 
• Precisely fitting plastic rail 
• Gentle bleaching due to lower hydrogen peroxide concentration and distribution over several applications
• Lower costs (compared to in-office bleaching)

Disadvantages:

• Longer treatment time
• No control by specialised personnel

Internal bleaching

Internal bleaching is mainly used for teeth that have undergone root canal treatment. During root canal treatment, the tooth nerve is removed and the inside of the tooth is filled with a filling. Strictly speaking, the tooth is dead and can therefore become discoloured. Dentists can also bleach teeth from the inside so that the dead tooth does not stand out in the row of teeth: The dentist opens the tooth and inserts a bleaching agent in the form of an inlay and closes the tooth temporarily. The inlay takes effect over several days and is replaced until the tooth has taken on the colour of the remaining teeth.

Risks and side effects: Is bleaching harmful or dangerous?

If you have your teeth whitened in a dental practice and all the instructions are followed, there is basically nothing to be said against bleaching. However, it is still a relatively aggressive form of treatment that will leave its mark on your teeth.

Pain-sensitive teeth

Many patients - around 80 per cent - suffer from increased sensitivity to cold and heat for a short time after teeth whitening. The teeth are then more sensitive to pain because the hydrogen peroxide dries out the teeth and it takes a while for the saliva to moisturise them again. The pain should disappear after 24 hours at the latest. Many manufacturers of whitening agents also offer gels that counteract this sensitivity and are given to patients to take home after treatment.

If you already suffer from pain-sensitive teeth before bleaching, you should think carefully about whether you really want to have your teeth bleached. Bleaching can make the sensitivity even worse. The independent umbrella organisation Council of European Dentists has been advising against light-activated bleaching since 2015 - this method is suspected of causing increased sensitivity to pain. If you want to be on the safe side, you should therefore opt for bleaching without light activation.

Treatment errors

Very rarely, bleaching at the dentist can cause irritation to the gums if they have not been adequately covered before treatment. If a tooth with caries is bleached, this can cause serious damage to the dental nerve. For this reason, you should definitely have your teeth checked before bleaching and only have your teeth bleached at a reputable dental practice.

Crowns & Co.

It is also important to know that you can only have your natural teeth whitened: Crowns, fillings and veneers do not change colour during bleaching. This means that they may suddenly stand out due to the whitening of the rest of your teeth. 

Please do not exaggerate

Either way, you should have your teeth whitened no more than once a year. Bleaching too often can cause the enamel to break. That's why you should definitely listen to your dentist's recommendation if they advise against bleaching.

How much does bleaching at the dentist cost?

The cost of bleaching depends on the method chosen. When estimating the costs, it is also important to remember that you will first need to have your teeth professionally cleaned and budget for up to 100 euros. After all, only healthy and clean teeth can be whitened. 

You can expect to pay between 200 and 800 euros for in-office bleaching at the dentist. As dentists are free to set their own prices, it's worth getting various quotes. Home bleaching with a custom-fit plastic tray usually costs between 200 and 400 euros. For internal bleaching of root-treated teeth, you should expect to pay between 70 and 100 euros per tooth.

Important: Health insurance companies generally do not pay for the bleaching of your teeth because this is a purely cosmetic treatment that is not medically necessary. Supplementary dental insurance does not usually pay for bleaching either, but often covers the costs of professional teeth cleaning.

Whitening teeth with drugstore products? 

You're probably familiar with this: when you walk through the drugstore, you notice lots of whitening products that promise white teeth - strips, sticks, powders, creams, gels and entire sets and kits. On the internet, too, people smile at us with gleaming white teeth and advertise products with which you can easily paint your teeth white. Before and after photos often even look convincing. But can these products really deliver what they promise?  

Unfortunately, the reality check looks rather modest: As these products are available over the counter without a prescription, there are legal requirements regarding the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, which are significantly lower than the values used by dentists. This means that bleaching at the dentist will give you significantly whiter teeth. Some dentists report that their patients have already had negative experiences with over-the-counter products. 

In addition, the results with these products can be mixed - or even blotchy - in the truest sense of the word: Because the strips or trays are produced in a standard size, they don't fit snugly on the teeth. If the tray supplied is too small, you won't be able to cover the entire tooth surface with gel. If it is too large, you run the risk of damaging your gums by bringing them into contact with an aggressive substance. Also dangerous: If you don't use drugstore products properly and try to whiten your teeth much more often than recommended, you can damage the enamel.

Can you whiten teeth naturally with home remedies? 

DIY cosmetic products are all the rage: there are numerous recipes on the internet that show you how to make your own toothpaste, deodorant and more. There are also all kinds of tips and tricks on how to whiten your teeth naturally. However, caution is advised here too: Many of the recommended substances damage tooth enamel and are therefore rather counterproductive. 

Hands off: teeth whitening with baking soda

Baking powder or baking soda is the classic home remedy for whitening teeth. Baking soda actually triggers a chemical reaction in the mouth that can dissolve discolouration. However, this effect is short-lived. The acid attacks the tooth enamel and roughens the tooth surface. As a result, colour pigments from coffee, red wine, cola, etc., as well as plaque and tartar, can adhere particularly easily, making teeth less white in the long term. 

Salt, lemon juice & turmeric

Other home remedies that are hyped on the internet are also harmful to dental health: both salt and lemon juice attack tooth enamel and should never be used for brushing teeth. Turmeric is advertised in some sources as a means of natural whitening without damage. However, there are also many test reports in which people describe their own experiences and have found little to no effect when using turmeric.

Oil pulling with coconut oil

Have you ever heard of "oil pulling"? This Ayurvedic dental care ritual is said to have a whitening effect. You put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and move it around in your mouth for around 15 minutes - and also "pull" the oil through your teeth. The oil is supposed to remove bacteria that are on or between the teeth. The oil is also said to dissolve plaque. 

In fact, studies have already shown that oil pulling has a positive effect on oral health: It can reduce bad breath and gum inflammation and is therefore a useful addition to the classic dental care routine. However, you won't get whiter teeth directly. Oil pulling has more of an indirect positive effect on the colour of your teeth: if you have less plaque and less tartar build-up, your teeth will stay whiter for longer.

Activated carbon

Activated charcoal is made in such a way that it can simply "absorb" toxins and colour pigments. So when activated charcoal encounters colour pigments in the mouth, it binds them to itself and you can simply spit them out. This is why brushing your teeth with activated charcoal is a popular home remedy for whitening your teeth. However, coarse activated charcoal can damage your tooth enamel and roughen the surface so that plaque can stick particularly well - similar to teeth whitening with baking soda. 

You have two options for utilising the cleansing effect of activated charcoal: Either you simply apply a mixture of activated charcoal and water to your teeth and then rinse them - without brushing them with a toothbrush. Or you can use a toothpaste with activated charcoal, which uses a particularly fine variant of activated charcoal powder. 

It is also important to know that the colour particles that you want to remove with activated charcoal are not necessarily directly accessible on the tooth surface, but are hidden in cracks, scratches and irregularities. A single brushing with activated charcoal toothpaste is definitely not enough to remove these discolourations. You will only see significantly whiter teeth if you regularly use activated charcoal in your dental care routine.

Can you whiten teeth with toothpaste?

Would you like whiter teeth, but want to whiten your teeth without hydrogen peroxide? Then a whitening toothpaste can help - but not nearly as much as bleaching at the dentist. 

If you opt for a toothpaste with a whitening effect, however, there are a few things to bear in mind: Many conventional toothpaste varieties with a whitening effect use abrasive particles that are supposed to scrub away discolouration from the teeth - similar to a peeling. However, this creates a rough tooth surface - similar to baking powder or coarse activated charcoal - which ultimately leads to more tooth discolouration. Food residues can adhere better and the enamel layer also becomes thinner, allowing the dentine to show through more. But how do you know how much a toothpaste damages the enamel? 

RDA value

The RDA value stands for Relative Dentin Abrasion and indicates how much a toothpaste abrades the enamel. An RDA value below 70 means that the toothpaste is particularly mild and is also suitable for people with sensitive teeth. RDA values between 70 and 100 indicate a normal abrasive effect and are suitable for everyday use on healthy teeth. From an RDA value of over 100, the toothpaste is no longer suitable for daily use and is considered highly abrasive. Toothpastes for whiter teeth are very often over 100 and can even break the 200 mark. Therefore, make sure that your toothpaste has an RDA value below 100. 

Which toothbrush for whiter teeth?

Many people think that a hard toothbrush is particularly good at scrubbing away discolouration. Unfortunately, this is wrong. With a hard toothbrush, the bristles are not flexible enough to thoroughly clean an uneven surface. A soft toothbrush with a densely packed brush head is much more efficient for white teeth. The soft bristles can adapt particularly well to the tooth surface. Toothbrushes with activated charcoal-coated bristles, such as the 'Black is white' toothbrush from Curaprox, offer an additional whitening effect. These are also available as sonic toothbrushes. With up to 84,000 movements, the carbon filaments with activated carbon particles gently remove discolouration without damaging the tooth enamel.

Prophylaxis: 5 tips for white teeth

Whether you have decided to whiten your teeth and want to know how to keep the white colour for as long as possible, or you want to keep your teeth as bright as possible naturally, there are things you can actively do.

1. Avoid discolouration

Coffee, tea, cola, red wine - the culprits are already known. If you want to have white teeth for as long as possible, you should not consume these foods too often. Fruit juices, balsamic vinegar and spices such as saffron and curry can also cause discolouration. And of course very important: if you smoke but would like to have nice white teeth, you should definitely give up this bad habit.

2. Wait 30 minutes after eating acidic foods before brushing your teeth

Brushing your teeth thoroughly is very important, but you should wait half an hour after drinking colouring, acidic foods such as fruit juice, cola or coffee. The acid attack dissolves minerals from the tooth enamel, which have to be replenished by saliva. Our body needs around 30 minutes for this process. If you brush your teeth immediately after drinking, the tooth surface is particularly vulnerable and you run the risk of unintentionally scrubbing away your enamel.

3. Go for regular professional teeth cleaning

Professional teeth cleaning every 6 to 12 months helps to prevent superficial discolouration. If you are already planning bleaching, you can ensure that your teeth stay whiter for longer with regular professional dental cleanings.

4. Use gentle whitening toothpaste

A gentle whitening toothpaste such as the 'Be you' range from Curaprox visually brightens your teeth and protects your enamel and gums at the same time. You can easily integrate it into your daily tooth brushing ritual and enjoy a gentle whitening effect.

5. Ensure thorough dental care

The be-all and end-all for white teeth is proper dental care. Because only if we brush our teeth thoroughly and regularly can we avoid discolouration. But what does proper dental care actually involve?

These are the most important points:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft toothbrush (e.g. the CS 5460 from Curaprox) or a sonic toothbrush - in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before going to bed
• Clean interdental spaces once a day (for example with an interdental brush from Curaprox)
• Use toothpaste containing fluoride