Teeth whitening is one of the most common general cosmetic dentistry treatments we offer at Green Apple Dental Care. It’s super popular amongst our patients, and for good reason; it works amazingly well to bring brightness back to a smile that’s lost its lustre. It’s also a fairly cost-effective, non-invasive treatment, and you’ll only have to spend a couple of hours in the dentist’s chair.
Our patients are almost unanimously thrilled with their teeth after whitening, but there is one main thing we get asked about after the treatment is complete. “Why do my teeth have white stains after whitening?”
Don’t worry! The white, patchy, streaky, or lined look of teeth after whitening is normal – it’s called enamel demineralization.
Enamel demineralisation is a process where the minerals in the tooth enamel are lost, resulting in weakened and more susceptible teeth. This can occur after whitening treatments due to various factors.
The whitening gel used to whiten teeth professionally (in-chair treatment) is powerful and contains hydrogen peroxide. This softens tooth enamel and dehydrates it, often causing demineralisation in the process.
Dehydration is part of the process as the bleaching gel permeates through the enamel of your teeth to reach the dentin layer below, where the staining and discolouration have occurred over time. That’s where the gel needs to get to so it can do its work, but as a side effect, it can often cause bright white patches or streaks to show in your teeth and leave them looking less than perfect.
To reiterate, these white streaks after whitening are normal, will disappear as your teeth remineralise and won’t harm your teeth or oral health. So don’t worry – it’s only temporary dehydration causing the white marks.
It’s important to understand that enamel demineralisation is a natural process and doesn’t only happen during whitening. It can be caused or accelerated by natural factors, including poor oral hygiene, excessive consumption of acidic foods and beverages, habits like teeth grinding or clenching, or, in this case, by a teeth whitening procedure.
This is why some people may notice little white streaks in their teeth in the morning or if they haven’t been drinking enough. Of course, the level of streakiness is increased after whitening, but it will go away in a couple of days.
How to get rid of white spots on teeth after whitening: rehydrating tooth enamel
The enamel of your teeth is porous and will naturally soak up the hydration it needs on its own. However, you can help the process along in a couple of ways.
Drink lots of water
Ensure you stay hydrated by drinking plenty over the next few days, but stay away from coloured liquids and foods.Water is always best, but it’s especially important after whitening to stick to clear liquids only for a few days while the pores in your enamel reseal the barrier. Otherwise, stains can re-enter the dentin layer very easily and undo all the work the whitening treatment just did.
Use a remineralising toothpaste
We recommend using a high-mineral toothpaste such as Sensodyne Repair so that your teeth have an ample supply of the minerals they need to rehydrate properly. This can really help speed up the process.
Most patients report that the white streaks in teeth after whitening are much less visible the next day after treatment and are gone two days later.
What if the white streaks don’t go away?
In rare cases, the white patches or streaks can remain prominent and don’t go away. If this happens, then there could be another issue at play, like thinning tooth enamel, which would mean the streaks were already present in the tooth enamel before the treatment, and whitening has just made them more noticeable. This issue is something that your dentist will tell you before starting whitening treatment. That’s why a consultation is required for all patients before a whitening appointment can be booked. We also check for gum recession, thinning enamel or other tooth decay issues that could cause side effects during or after whitening.
Another reason that white lines can appear in teeth is hypo-calcification, a process that usually precedes cavity formation. This is the demineralisation of teeth caused by a bad diet (lots of sugar) and bad dental hygiene. The acid produced by excess bacteria on teeth begins to weaken the enamel, causing white craze lines to develop in the process.
If you’re interested in teeth whitening, don’t hesitate to call our office or ask about it during your next checkup appointment. It’s important that you are informed about what the treatment entails and that your dentist can check your teeth to make sure teeth whitening is safe for you.
