An aesthetic and confident smile is based on healthy and sparkling white teeth. Each whitening procedure has a different active ingredient, application and promised results.

How can we choose the best one for us? What are the whitening methods that really don't harm teeth? In this article, we present the most popular methods, from a dentist's point of view, with the health of your teeth in mind.

What is worth knowing about tooth discolouration?
Tooth discolouration, with a yellowish hue, causes problems in the lives of many of our patients. Many are limited in speaking, smiling, and self-expression if they are not satisfied with the aesthetics of their teeth.

Before looking for teeth whitening solutions, it is worth finding out exactly what causes tooth discolouration and what influences the shade of teeth.

The size and colour of teeth are significantly influenced by genetics, meaning the traits we inherit from our ancestors. We have some lucky patients who naturally have white-shaded dentition genetically, are less prone to tooth discolouration, and with proper care, can maintain their healthy white smile.

Unfortunately, this is less common. Almost all people have one or more habits in their lives that can be considered harmful from a dental point of view, which negatively affect the colour of the teeth and can lead to yellowing.

For example, our eating and drinking habits. Both the food and liquids we consume contain different coloured pigments, and the deposition of these pigments on the surface of the teeth can lead to discolouration. We've all heard about the bad effects that excessive coffee or tea consumption, soft drinks, juices and red wine can have on the colour of our teeth. All of these can affect the colour of tooth enamel, especially if oral hygiene habits are poor.

Smoking also has many harmful effects on dental health. Among other things, it affects the colour of the teeth due to the nicotine in the products, which can cause a yellowish or even brownish discolouration on the surface of the teeth.

In addition to lifestyle habits, discolouration can also be caused by overuse of certain medications, tooth damage or root canal treatment. These specific cases usually require a different, individualised approach.

Home teeth whitening practices – can they really be effective?
We can read about many home tooth whitening practices that promise effective tooth whitening. For example, baking soda, lemon juice, orange or lemon peel, hydrogen peroxide, or apple cider vinegar are common due to their teeth whitening effect. While these are natural remedies and can lead to a noticeable change in shade, they can cause many harmful effects and unpleasant symptoms.

They can harm the gums and cause severe tooth wear due to their acidic effect, thinning the tooth enamel, which in the long term can not only make teeth sensitive but also significantly damage them.

For this reason, we do not recommend using these tricks as, after the temporary whitening, they can cause numerous unpleasant side effects, ranging from tooth sensitivity and enamel weakening to tooth decay.

Whitening products: toothpastes, mouthwashes and gels
The main active ingredients in sets, gels, or applicators available in drugstores are typically hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. The European Union strictly regulates how much of each active ingredient can be contained in individual products.

Therefore, these preparations can be used safely for teeth whitening purposes and are often effective. However, it is worth bearing in mind that tooth sensitivity, mucous membrane or gum irritation can often be experienced during and after the treatment. Due to the low active ingredient content, the whitening effect on the teeth is less durable, and the initial state may be regained within a short period.

The preparations used in dental treatments are much stronger and more effective, so it's possible that the same shade can be achieved in a proper dental practice after just one treatment and will also be longer-lasting.

Whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes and rinses are excellent for maintaining the whiteness of teeth. With continuous use, they remove plaque and stubborn stains from the surface of the teeth.

However, they are not able to clean and whiten the deeper layers of tooth enamel, so we recommend their use primarily after professional teeth whitening, to maintain a healthy white colour.

Professional teeth whitening: LED or laser?
There are as many needs, habits and preferences as there are people. That's why, before choosing in-office teeth whitening, we always recommend a consultation, during which our patients receive a personalised treatment proposal in consultation with our dental hygienists.

Our expert will make a recommendation tailored to your lifestyle, habits, dental health and needs, and will give you the opportunity to clarify any questions you may have before the procedure.

We primarily recommend in-office LED lamp teeth whitening for those individuals interested in achieving an intense whitening effect and visible results quickly. The treatment begins with a professional cleaning of the teeth.

Following this, a special protective substance will be applied to cover the more sensitive gum areas, to shield them from any potential discomfort during the whitening process.

Next, a special whitening gel is applied to the teeth and the gel surface is illuminated with an LED whitening lamp. This activates the whitening agent in the gel and whitens the teeth.

After 15 minutes, wash off the gel and repeat the process twice more until the desired effect is achieved. As a result of the treatment, your teeth will be several shades brighter and your smile will be more attractive, more appealing and permanently natural white.

The other type, Biolase laser teeth whitening, is recommended for patients with sensitive teeth, as this procedure is extremely gentle, and thanks to the beneficial effect of the laser, we can also reduce this sensitivity.

In Naturadent's office, the dentist is showing the patient the result of tooth whitening

In our practice, we use the Biolase ezLase laser device for laser teeth whitening, along with a teeth whitening agent developed especially for this device, LaserWhite gel.

Laser teeth whitening treatment performed in this way is fast and effective, free of harmful substances and side effects, and the results will be long-lasting.

If you want a truly lasting result: White teeth for a lifetime programme
For many of our patients, maintaining their natural white shade after a single teeth whitening treatment has been a problem. It is precisely because of this demand that we developed our 'White Teeth for Life' programme, through which we offer a solution for those who wish to maintain the whiteness of their teeth in the long term.

Our personalised treatment series includes the following steps:

As the first part of the treatment, we perform a thorough dental cleaning: our dental hygiene experts remove plaque and tartar from the teeth using professional methods, employing ultrasonic scaling and, if necessary, sandblasting.
With our effective, comfortable, painless and proven in-office whitening procedure, we will whiten your teeth in multiple shades: with a choice of LED light or laser, depending on your needs. As a result, your teeth will be maximally cleaned and brilliantly white.
At your consultation in six months, we will perform a re-dental hygiene treatment and make a transparent whitening splint for your teeth, adapted to your dentition, designed for home use, and give you a special whitening gel as a gift!
The clear and perfectly fitting whitening tray and gel can be used in the comfort of your own home, even during your favourite movie, to restore the whiteness of your teeth to the shade achieved with in-office whitening.
After that, you will need another in-office plaque removal every six months, and we will give you a whitening gel every time. Once applied, you can remove stains from your teeth time and time again and keep them healthy and naturally white. This will ensure that your smile stays confidently white for life.

Professional teeth whitening – Don't leave it to chance!
If you want safe, healthy and long-lasting results for your whole body, consult our expert specialist who will recommend a personalised treatment plan, explaining the options available to help you achieve the white smile of your dreams.

Home practices can be dangerous because of their potentially harmful health consequences, and in the long run they can cause more problems than we think.

At Naturadent, we have decades of experience and thousands of satisfied patients, and we offer you the best of our expertise in teeth whitening treatments.