dentist East Wenatchee WA - Can You Whiten the Dentin Beneath Your Tooth's Enamel? (2024)

FAQs

Can tooth dentin be whitened? ›

When a patient does teeth whitening, the dentin does not become white. Rather, the hydrogen peroxide molecules go inside the enamel and break down the stain-causing molecules into smaller components. It is important for patients to know that they should not seek treatments that claim to whiten the dentin.

How to whiten dentin? Luckily there's still a way to whiten your teeth, even if it's your dentin that's causing the yellowness. Deep Bleaching is the most effective method to whiten any kind of tooth discoloration. The method seems to work well, even when your tooth discoloration goes beyond your tooth enamel.

Teeth that have yellowed with age

Dentin is naturally yellowish and cannot be lightened with teeth whitening products.

Even though you can't reverse enamel erosion and shouldn't whiten at home to reduce yellowing, you can still change the look of your smile. The dentist can bond a tooth-colored material to the damaged area to create a smooth, pearly white finish.

Hydrogen Peroxide Might Bleach Natural Dentin by Oxidizing Phosphoprotein.

Potential issues from deteriorating dentin include the following: Dentinal hypersensitivity: Hypersensitivity can occur if dentin becomes exposed to stimuli within the mouth due to wear or decay. This results in sensitivity or pain, which can be severe. Often this occurs with very sharp pain, depending on progression.

Tooth and gum sensitivity and pain

Store-bought products may contain abrasive substances like hydrogen peroxide, which can be effective if used minimally, but in large doses can cause erosion of teeth's enamel and shrinkage of the gums.

Those who are suffering from periodontal disease, oral cancer, or who have enamel that is excessively worn down to not make good candidates for teeth whitening either. Most other patients should not have a problem.

Your dentist will advise you whether whitening is right for you. It may be that teeth whitening isn't suitable, for example if you have gum disease or crowns.

Teeth whitening treatments are for everyone – there's no age limit to having any kind of cosmetic dental treatments, so it doesn't matter if you're 26 or 62 or older, if you want whiter teeth, your age is not going to prevent it from happening.

Can I whiten my teeth if I have thin enamel? ›

But if you have thin enamel or discolored dentin, these whitening products will only serve to do more harm than good. The rule of thumb is the thinner your enamel, the darker the dentin will be, which means your teeth appear more yellow.

Treatment of tooth enamel loss depends on your individual needs. Your dentist may recommend tooth bonding (filling the damaged areas with tooth-colored resins) to protect the tooth and improve its appearance. If the enamel loss is more severe, a crown may be necessary to protect the tooth from further decay.

No matter how great your oral hygiene has been, you may experience age-related teeth stains. Since age-related stains affect the dentin, it's not easy to clean these teeth stains. You'll need professional help for this type of dental stains removal.

The bleaching material easily penetrates the tooth to change the dentin color at the same rate throughout, indicating that the type of stain may be the important factor in determining bleaching success.

Surgical Treatments for Exposed Dentin

In certain cases, surgical treatments will be necessary to cover the dentin. If you've lost gum tissue near the root, a surgical gum graft can help protect the root and reduce sensitivity. The last resort for exposed dentin is a root canal.