Have you seen this latest teeth whitening craze yet? If so, chances are you've already bought into it too! Don't be ashamed, we're all a little curious when it comes to bleaching our teeth and recapturing that beautiful smile we used to have in our early teens. Teeth can start to get a little discolored pretty early on in life. A lot of people look in the mirror and notice their side teeth are more yellow than their front teeth. I'm not sure why this is, but I know something else for sure... it's only going to get worse! Teeth discolor naturally as time progresses. But smoking cigarettes and drinking wine, tea, coffee and soda drinks only makes it worse. Have you ever seen a fifty year old smile at you? Some older people not only have darkened teeth, their teeth are just plain ugly yellow!

Dangers Of Teeth Whitening

Thanks to modern technology of today, we don't have to put up with this anymore. We can whiten our teeth today for a fairly modest price. The bleaching of teeth is now affordable to almost everybody. Most people will be able to pay for it just like that, other people may have to save up for a few weeks. But it's definitely accessible to the mainstream these days! Don't get too enthusiastic by thinking you can simply buy your way to whiter teeth. If you're going to do it at home with an over the counter whitening kit, you will still have to invest your time and effort into using the product correctly. If you don't follow the instructions of your whitening kit to the letter, you will run the risk of getting some serious problems from teeth whitening.

When it comes to bleaching teeth, there is a danger that not everybody will want you to know about. The biggest danger with any hydrogen peroxide based whitening kit, is that you can use it incorrectly and thereby damage the enamel that covers your teeth. Your tooth enamel is what protects your teeth from outside harm. If you didn't have enamel, your teeth would indeed be very sensitive and painful. So just be glad you this protective film.

The trouble with enamel, is that the minerals within it change structure over time. This makes them darker. Also, stains pile up in the enamel, making it less and less transparent with every passing year. Once the enamel loses its transparancy, the natural whiteness of your teeth is no longer visible. So when hydrogen peroxide penetrates the enamel and breaks down the stains, your teeth will once again have a lovely white color!

You can't prevent that hydrogen peroxide damages your tooth enamel a little bit. But if it's damaged only a little bit, it will recover. Damage it too much and it will be damaged permanently. This gives you permanently more painful teeth, which can be very annoying. Prevent damaging your enamel by not using hydrogen peroxide concentrations that are too high and also make sure not to use them for too long. If you experience sensitivity during your treatment, then it is highly advised you take a break. If the sensitivity comes back soon after continuing your treatment, it may be best to stop the treatment completely.