Hello Warmcornbread,
Scraping your teeth with a paperclip is not a good way to remove
stains. In actuality, the scraping is making your teeth more likely to
stain! While a paperclip may remove the stains temporarily, you are
etching your enamel, and the etchings make a good place for coffee and
other stains to adhere to, thus further staining your teeth. A dental
hygenist scrapes (scales) your teeth, using a tool with an even
surface, and then your teeth are polished.
"Scaling is a safe and routine procedure and does not damage the
tooth surface in any way. It must be done by a dental professional.
Scaling involves a deep cleaning of the tooth above and below the gum
line in order remove any plaque and calculus that has accumulated on
the tooth. This involves the use of special instruments and/or devices
to loosen and remove deposits from the teeth.
Commonly an ultrasonic machine is used. It has a fine tip which
vibrates at ultrasonic frequency and which dislodges tartar and plaque
from the tooth surface. As the vibrations are extremely fine the
process does not damage the tooth surface in any way. Your dentist
will also schedule a follow-up appointment in the next 4-6 weeks to
check on your improvement. Many dentists recommend having the teeth
professionally cleaned at least every 6 to 12 months. More frequent
cleaning and examination may be necessary during the treatment of many
of the dental/oral disorders. Routine examination of the teeth is
recommended at least every six months."
http://www.doctorndtv.com/topics/detailtopics.asp?id=431
"But one thing most people don't realize is that it takes more than
just a good whitening product to get those pearly whites to dazzle.
First, you must have enough tooth enamel!
Huh? That's right, tooth enamel. As a dentist, I often had to explain
this to my patients who had worn their enamel thin. The enamel is the
hard, protective outer layer of your teeth. If you're genetically
blessed, it's natural color is a very light ivory which we perceive as
"white". If nature didn't give you the whitest enamel, or if you've
smoked too many cigarettes, drank too many glasses of red wine or
black coffee, or indulged in too many helpings of cherry pie in your
lifetime, your teeth may not look as white as they once did. There are
many more foods that can stain your teeth, but the point is, we're
talking about stain here -- pigments in the enamel that can be
chemically "bleached".
Tooth whitening products do a great job of removing stain and can even
help people whose natural tooth color is on the grey or yellow side.
But here's where whitening won't help, or not nearly as much: if your
tooth enamel is thin. You see, the thinner the enamel on your teeth
gets, the more the layer underneath it starts to show through it. That
second layer, called dentin, is typically yellow in color -- even
brownish in some cases. And teeth whitening products do a very poor
job of whitening dentin."
"There's one more important way you can lose precious enamel from your
teeth. It's from consuming foods with a high acid content. Citrus
fruits are big offenders. After that comes tomato sauce. And
carbonated drinks (soft drinks are high in phosphoric acid) can be the
worst, because of our tendency to sip or "nurse" them. That just
prolongs contact between your teeth and the "acid bath" you're
treating them to."
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34291.asp
"Brushing too hard strips tooth enamel from the tooth making the tooth
sensitive to heat, cold, and other stimuli. Stripped enamel reveals
the underlying tooth layer called the dentin. Because dentin is
yellowish in color, the result is an ever increasing yellowish smile.
As with gum tissue, enamel can never grow back."
http://www.electric-toothbrushes.net/guide.html
"The root cause of most tooth discoloration lies just at the surface
of your teeth's enamel. Drinking red wine, coffee, and tea can
discolor your teeth. Colored molecules found in these beverages,
including tannins and other polyphenols, adsorb to the enamel's
surface. Dark pigments in cigarettes, blueberries, and other foods can
also be deposited on your tooth enamel. Much of this superficial
staining can be combated by regular brushing. But over time, these
compounds can diffuse into the enamel, where they cannot be removed by
brushing alone.
Aging is another big culprit. As we get older, our dentin gradually
takes on a yellowish hue. "We don't yet know what chromophore or
chromophores cause this tooth yellowing," says Paul A. Sagel,
principal engineer of Procter & Gamble's oral care product delivery.
His group is using ion mass spectrometry on teeth of varying ages to
try to answer this question.
In addition, the antibiotic tetracycline can gray children's teeth if
taken during their early years, when tooth enamel has yet to
completely harden. Tetracycline is incorporated into children's enamel
and dentin. Over time, it photooxidizes, giving teeth a grayish-blue
tint that's difficult to remove."
"If none of these options works for you, there's still one left: tooth
veneers. Popular with movie stars and models, thin veneers made of
porcelain are bonded to the existing teeth. Porcelain veneers won't
last as long as your real teeth. But unlike your own teeth, these
pearly whites don't stain--leaving you to dazzle maintenance-free."
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/8106whiteteeth.html
Here's a fabulous answer from Bobbie7-ga, that may interest you:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=220797
Cleaning Agents:
================
One of my colleagues, Journalist-ga recommends 'Plus White'
toothpaste. It comes in regular, coffee stain formula and smoker's
formula. She said it's the best, and can be found at Walgreen's, but
not Target. I've known people who have had good luck with whitening
strips, such as Crest Whitestrips.
"...people that need whitening of discolored teeth -- such as teeth
stained gray from the use of tetracycline -- won't experience good
results with home teeth whiteners."
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/84/98020.htm
"Some toothpastes are specifically made to remove heavy stain, and are
frequently referred to as "smoker's toothpaste" or "tooth polish".
This is a red flag that the toothpaste may be excessively abrasive,
and may cause progressive wearing away of the tooth and supporting
tissues. These toothpastes are to be avoided."
http://www.dentaltwins.com/faqframe.html
"When used appropriately, clinical studies support the safety and
effectiveness of tooth-bleaching techniques, including do-it-yourself
products. However, there is no long-term safety data available. The
effects of teeth bleaching are temporary, usually about 6 months to a
year, so people may choose to bleach repeatedly over a lifetime.
Safety? ? 10-15% of people experience some degree of tooth
sensitivity, caused by irritation to the nerve in the tooth. There is
little evidence of permanent tooth pulp damage. (Pulps are the center
of the tooth and contain the arteries, veins and nerves of the tooth.)
However, there is some concern that over-time with continued
bleaching, that the tooth enamel could be destroyed."
http://www.mcmaster.ca/health/hwc/Newsletters/jan04/tooth_whiteners.htm
Starting on Page 6, Dentifrices, you will find the whitening
toothpastes approved by the ADA
http://www.ada.org/ada/seal/adaseal_productlist.pdf
http://www.ada.org/ada/seal/index.asp
I hope this has been helpful! If any part of my answer is unclear,
please request an Answer Clarification, before rating, and I will be
happy to respond.
Regards, Crabcakes
Search Terms
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teeth cleaning + scaling
Tooth whiteners + toothpaste |
