There are many tips for whitening teeth on the Internet. Let’s first take a look at whether they are reliable, and then talk about the methods that can really whiten teeth quickly.

1. Ingredients

① Contains vinegar or lemon juice?

It doesn’t work, it’s harmful!

Some people may have been inspired by "white vinegar can remove scale" and thought that white vinegar is highly acidic and can dissolve scale, so it should be able to remove "tartar". Anyway, the ingredients are similar. Indeed, very acidic vinegar or lemon juice can remove tartar. However, this is a method of "killing a hundred enemies and losing a thousand"! The outermost enamel layer of the teeth is the hardest structure of the human body and is characterized by being resistant to pressure and wear, but it is the least resistant to acid. Not only will vinegar or lemon juice not whiten your teeth, but it will also cause serious trauma to your teeth, and the damage is irreversible.

② Rub your teeth with crushed peanuts, salt, orange peel powder, etc.?

It’s useless, it will hurt innocent people! The purpose of these methods is to increase friction in the hope of removing pigment from the tooth surface. But in fact, the pigment is very tightly bound to the tooth surface, making it difficult for these materials to remove the pigment. On the contrary, incorrect pressure application can damage the gums and may lead to oral ulcers.

2. Chemistry

①Whitening toothpaste

Only a fleeting whitening effect.

Many toothpastes claim to "brighten the color of teeth in two months." Take a closer look at the ingredient list of the toothpaste. It does contain ingredients that can have a bleaching effect, as well as polishing particles. It seems that it can both whiten teeth. It can also be polished. But in reality, bleach needs to reach a certain concentration and time to work. When you brush your teeth with water, the concentration of the bleach is diluted to a very low level, and it has basically no bleaching effect. The brief contact between the polishing particles and the tooth surface will not produce the polishing effect. The colored particles in the whitening toothpaste can indeed stay on the teeth for a short time to slightly improve the original color of the teeth and achieve a short-term whitening effect. However, the effect is not long-lasting, and this so-called "brightening" will gradually disappear after you stop using it.

②Whitening teeth strips

It is somewhat reliable, but the duration is short. Whitening toothpaste contains a low concentration of peroxide. As long as the toothpaste is in contact with the teeth for sufficient time during use, the very superficial pigment on the tooth surface can be removed through the bleaching effect. For example, caused by drinking coffee or red wine. However, whitening strips have no effect on deeper pigments that have penetrated into the teeth. If you want to further improve the color of your teeth, you need a higher concentration of bleaching agent, which requires the participation of a dentist, which is what I will talk about below.

3. A truly reliable whitening method

① Cold light whitening

In cold light whitening, the real whitening effect is not the "cold light", but the bleach . The deeper pigments of the teeth can be removed through chemical reactions, and because there is no damage to the structure of the teeth, it can be regarded as the most effective non-invasive method for whitening. It can be used for people with naturally yellow teeth, acquired pigmentation, and mild fluorosis. Bleaching agents are very safe to use on teeth, but they can be very irritating to soft tissues such as gums and lips. Before bleaching, the doctor will apply a protective agent to these areas to isolate the soft tissue. Cold light whitening requires a qualified dentist to operate it. If you want to DIY it at home, you must be cautious. If you are not careful, it may cause oral ulcers, gum recession and other problems.

②Porcelain veneers, all-ceramic crowns, porcelain crowns?

If the tooth color is darker, such as tetracycline teeth, moderate to severe fluorosis, etc., which cannot be improved by non-invasive methods such as tooth bleaching, then you can choose minimally invasive porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are a bit like "color contact lenses". They are attached to the teeth with a thin layer to improve the color of the teeth and achieve a very natural effect. When making porcelain veneers, a small amount of tooth may need to be removed, about 0.3 to 0.8 mm. Porcelain veneer technology is very mature, which can ensure that the porcelain has sufficient strength and can ensure a very strong bond with the tooth surface. You can choose the color of porcelain veneers. You can make it as white as you want. The whitest color is called "Hollywood White". Just like a star, your lips will be red when you smile and your teeth will be white. However, you have to consider that white teeth of yellow people will be unnatural and look fake. So you still need to communicate well with your doctor. If the tooth is too dark or has a large chip, you should consider using a full crown to restore it. According to the different materials, they can be divided into all-ceramic crowns and porcelain crowns. All-ceramic crowns do not contain metal and can completely simulate the transparency of teeth, while porcelain crowns have a metal structure inside and are relatively opaque in color. In addition, making a full crown requires more tooth grinding, so you should be more cautious when choosing a full crown restoration.

Actually, there are many reliable and unreliable methods for whitening teeth, and new technologies are constantly emerging. It is really difficult to tell whether various methods are reliable or not entirely by yourself. , if you are not careful, you may be harmed by evil hands, causing damage to your teeth, which is even more difficult to recover. Therefore, finding a reliable dentist and listening to the doctor’s advice is the safest choice.