My Teeth Are Yellow. How Can I Make Them Whiter?

I get this question a lot. As we age, our teeth gradually darker and more yellow due to internal staining. This occurs more rapidly if you smoke or drink a lot of coffee, tea or red wine. For most people, whiter teeth can be achieved through teeth whitening.

There are many teeth whitening products available, some of which are more effective than others. Many toothpastes claim to whiten your teeth, but they do not actually change the colour of your teeth. Instead, they work by removing some extrinsic stains (brown spots) that can develop from coffee or smoking. Their effectiveness is very limited. The disadvantage of these toothpastes is that they contain abrasives that can wear down your teeth. Out of all the over-the-counter products, Crest Whitestrips seem to work best. The disadvantage of the strips is that the strips are not custom-made for you, and you can lose a lot of the whitening gel in the mouth. And, because they are over-the-counter, the whitening gel is of lower concentration.

The best and most effective way to whiten your teeth is professionally by a dentist. This can be done in the form of a custom take-home whitening kit, or in-office 1hr whitening. Professional teeth whitening is more effective as they use a higher concentration of the whitening gel material and the gel stays on your teeth better. Teeth whitening is a simple, yet effective way to get a younger-looking smile. In our dentist Thornhill office, we offer FREE teeth whitening for all new patients.