Teeth whitening

Slightly off topic but, my dentist said that in older people, sometimes, the enamel wears off the tooth and the yellow that can then be seen is the dentine inside the tooth. It doesn't seem fair that years of regular brushing can actually cause yellowing!

I think that must be why some people go for veneers or bonding. I'd love to have all my teeth bonded or veneered but it can be very pricey!

Go for it. Done via your dentist it’s quite safe and will look very natural. I too had the boutique process and can top it up every 6 months or so. Not too expensive either. Definitely not in the Botox league.

I have the lightening moulds and use couple of times a year, not in your face white, but enough for me, I also have the coffee/red wine habit and it just keep the stains at bay…

Mine were getting discoloured possibly bcs of coffee and red wine habit. But recently started using Sen***yne whitening toothpaste and they have gradually become white again, but not bright.

I am glad I have pretty good teeth, I do not mind their creamy colour. I think the fewer chemicals we put in our bodies the better.

If you're teeth have always been very discoloured it's likely due to staining caused by medication taken in childhood. Whitening solutions will make little difference.

I used the Boutique system too. You use it to whiten as much or as little as you want. I clean my teeth 2-3 times a day and go to dentist regularly. Not everyone's teeth are the same, needing to whiten doesn't mean you haven't been looking after them. The sensitivity when using is called zingers, it can be a bit disconcerting but it stops when you stop using whitener.

Iam64

I’m not a fan on older people. Our teeth age with us, I’ve always cleaned mine twice daily and for longer than I can recall, seen the hygienist three monthly to scale and polish. I did discuss whitening, my dentist and hygienist both said it makes sensitivity worse. That put me off but mostly, very white teeth on older people don’t look great ( bit like Botox)

I think you're wrong about Botox (and teeth whitening). A little Botox done in the right places can be very enhancing, for instance in the frown lines between the eyes, and the crowsfeet. It doesn't make your face completely immobile and fake looking, just refreshed. I've been having it for several years (twice a year) with a professional and no-one has ever suspected - folk just think I'm ageing well. Lovely.

Oh, and I'm trying to persuade my DH (75) to have his teeth whitened.

I had mine done aged 69 and I love them - not unnatural at all just look bright and clean - I would go for it

I had my teeth whitened two years ago, but I only used half the solution as I didn’t want them to look too fake. Then last year I did it again with the other half. My teeth are still whiter than they were ( I love drinking coffee which isn’t great for staining) and I feel better about how I look.

I had my teeth whitened a few years ago and my dentist showed me the colours he was aiming for before starting the treatment. They were basically natural but a lighter colour than I had so if your dentist is doing your job properly you should have no fear of an unnatural look.

had it done a few years ago because some of my teeth were looking very brown. Since then I have had composite bonding to the teeth with the biggest problem.

How white you take your teeth is a matter of personal choice. Most people get the colour so right nobody even knows they have had it done. You just think that their teeth look good, if you think about ti atall.

Sago

I had mine whitened but as Casdon said it is very subtle.
I had trays made and then was prescribed the whitening, it was a system called boutique.

It wasn’t too badly priced, I now just buy the solution online as I have the custom trays.
I top up every few months.

Hi Sago. I’ve got the trays but have since moved dentist. How do you buy the boutique solution online. I’ve used it in the past x

I had a mini whitening to remove stains from drinking red wine. Dentist very professional and didn’t even mention a full whitening. I am pleased that my teeth are no longer stained. I would say trust the judgment of your dentist.

I was thinking of getting it done too . I know they definitely won't look like "Turkey Teeth" just fresher and much brighter.
My dentist sorted my son out when he was a teenager, he had "fluoride" stains on his front teeth. They looked great after a couple of days, worked a treat.

I use teeth whitening strips from Superdrug once a month which keep my teeth naturally white.

Good point about veneers
My daughters are late thirties early forties. They have very gleaming teeth and use the solution sago mentions

I had mine whitened but as Casdon said it is very subtle.
I had trays made and then was prescribed the whitening, it was a system called boutique.

It wasn’t too badly priced, I now just buy the solution online as I have the custom trays.
I top up every few months.

I’ve had my teeth whitened in the past, they didn’t go bright white, just about five shades lighter than they were before, which still looked very natural (and nicer). The people you see with very bright white teeth have veneers, not normal tooth whitening.

Are your teeth really yellow? If they aren’t don’t get them whitened.

I agree with Chocolatelovinggran. Unnaturally whitened teeth look so false.

I’m not a fan on older people. Our teeth age with us, I’ve always cleaned mine twice daily and for longer than I can recall, seen the hygienist three monthly to scale and polish. I did discuss whitening, my dentist and hygienist both said it makes sensitivity worse. That put me off but mostly, very white teeth on older people don’t look great ( bit like Botox)

I have no experience of this, faringdon, but would suggest that you exercise caution in your level of whitening.
Very white teeth can look odd.
I'm so old, I can remember that quite a few older people in the past had white, even teeth... because they were dentures.