With the rise in non-invasive dentistry, the focus has shifted somewhat from routine dentistry and now more and more patients are coming into practices seeking treatment that can make their smile look more aesthetically pleasing. And surprisingly to some, there are a couple of really simple measures that can be taken to get you the smile you want. Teeth cleaning vs teeth whitening, which is right for you?

The most common question we get asked now is definitely “what can I do to improve the appearance of my teeth?” and there are two particularly simple ways – teeth whitening and teeth cleaning.

What is the difference between a teeth cleaning and teeth whitening?

A teeth cleaning is designed to get rid of the external stains that build up on our teeth from things like dietary or smoking stains. For example, if it’s just external staining that’s built up over the years, then a good clean will easily get rid these stains. But, if the stain is more ingrained into the tooth, then teeth whitening is the best option.

The main difference between teeth whitening and teeth cleaning is, the former cleans the surface of the tooth from extrinsic staining and the latter cleans the extrinsic and intrinsic staining whilst whitening the teeth at the same.

As we all age, the things we eat and the things we might smoke slowly begin to discolour our teeth and general cleaning might not get rid of that sort of stain. In which case a tooth whitening treatment might be a good option to get that whiteness back into your smile.

Does teeth whitening damage enamel?

It’s a common misconception but in reality, teeth whitening does no damage to enamel and there’s no long-term effects of tooth whitening either. Of course, you’d have to have a dental check-up done first to make sure that everything’s healthy before you start. But once it’s been confirmed that your gums and teeth are healthy then teeth whitening is a simple and straight-forward procedure to go through.

It generally starts with some in practice work which then leads to some overnight whitening at home for two weeks. And that gets rid of not only the external stains on the teeth but also changes the colour of the teeth back to the way they were when you were younger. The way that it works is the carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide gel opens up the tubules within the tooth and gets rid of the internal stains in the tooth whereas toothpaste will only get rid of the stains on the surface of the tooth, it won’t penetrate any deeper. So, for that reason, tooth whitening tends to be seen as the much more effective option.

   Dr Vilas Patel

Vilas graduated with honors from Sheffield University in 2004 and has since worked in Bolton, Manchester, and Wigan. She has also served as an Educational Supervisor, training new dentists.Vilas offers general, cosmetic, and adult orthodontic dentistry, as well as sedation for anxious patients. She finds her work rewarding and enjoys using her skills to help patients. Vilas has earned multiple postgraduate qualifications, including a Diploma in Restorative Dentistry from the Royal College of Surgeons, and is an Associate Fellow of the College of General Dentistry.