What is teeth bleaching?

Different products will perform different tasks in the world of tooth whitening and bleaching. Some products simply scrape off surface stains, other penetrate deep into the enamel to bleach the discoloration. Still others will use advanced light and laser techniques to change the colors of your enamel.

However, most bleaching and whitening compounds are composed of the same ingredients - and the overall process is the same. That process is oxidation. All whitening products have a certain amount of bleaching gel that contains either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. These chemicals then break down into oxygen molecules. When the gel is applied to your teeth, the oxygen molecules travel straight into the tiny pores of your enamel and your dentin, where the stains are embedded. The molecules break up the stain particles and as the stain is broken into smaller and smaller pieces, more light begins to shine through - thus making your teeth look lighter.

Because of this, darker stains bleach better. The darker and larger the stain, the easier it is for the oxygen molecules to break it into very small pieces. Some teeth stains, such as darkish brown to grayish looking stains are not usually a result of surface staining - and thus very hard to remove.