Everyone is familiar with the term ‘anorexia’. Anorexia is a type of body dysmorphic disorder, which is where the sufferer is obsessed with their appearance. People with a body dysmorphic disorder imagine they have defects that aren’t really there, such as excess fat.

In recent years, people have used the suffix -rexia to coin new words such as tanorexia (an obsession with tanning), yogarexia (an obsession with yoga) and bleachorexia (an obsession with teeth bleaching). These words might sound like jokes, but they are real problems for some people. Bleachorexia, for example, can cause people to over-bleach their teeth, which in turn can damage their enamel.

Why do people bleach their teeth?

As we get older, our teeth become yellower due to the natural wearing down of enamel. People can counteract this effect with two treatments: teeth whitening and teeth bleaching. Whitening is the restoration of a tooth’s natural colour, while bleaching is the use of bleach to whiten teeth beyond their natural colour.

Bleaching has become a huge industry in recent years. People now have more bleaching options than ever: strips, pens, gels, and lasers. People also have the option of bleaching their teeth at home instead of going to the dentist.

The recent bleaching craze is partly due to models and celebrities with shiny white teeth. People want megawatt shiny teeth so they can emulate their favourite celebrities. Ironically, most celebrities actually use veneers (fake teeth stuck to the front of their actual teeth) instead of bleach!

Is bleachorexia dangerous?

It’s normal to want to look good, but there comes a point when whitening treatments do more harm than good. This is because bleaching products often contain peroxide, which is a substance that erodes enamel. Loss of enamel is bad because it can make your teeth very sensitive and more prone to tooth decay. Furthermore, once enamel has gone, it’s gone for good. In extreme cases, over-bleaching can damage nerves and require root canals.

What can I do to prevent over-bleaching?

To prevent over-bleaching, limit your bleaching sessions to three to four times per year. This should be more than enough to keep your teeth white while avoiding the dangers of over-bleaching.

You can also reduce the need for bleaching treatments in the first place by avoiding things that cause stains. These include cigarettes, coffee, tea, red wine, curry, and pasta sauce.

Nowadays, certain sites sell ‘DIY whitening kits’ which circumvent the need for a dentist. However, we advise against going it alone. This is because the safest place to bleach is at your dentist’s. Dentists can perform a thorough examination and advise you on whether bleaching is the best course of treatment. A dentist will also warn you if you are bleaching your teeth too often.

We are experts in the safest possible teeth whitening methods. Book an appointment with us today to discuss your needs. And if you suspect someone you know is a ‘bleach junkie’, do encourage them to see a dentist before they do irreversible damage to their teeth.

The post Are You A Bleachorexic? appeared first on Benson Dental Practice.

Causes of stains

There are two types of staining: internal and external.

• Internal staining is related to the inside of the tooth (the dentine). Unfortunately, this type of staining occurs with age, since dentine naturally gets darker and more yellow as you get older. Enamel also wears down with age which makes the yellow dentine more visible. Internal staining isn’t just age-related however – it can also occur due to genes, high fluoride levels, antibiotics, and developmental disorders.
• External staining is related to the outside of the tooth (the enamel). This type of staining is mainly due to environmental factors, such as smoking, food and antibiotics.

Food is one of the main causes of external staining. Food stains usually occur when pigments called ‘tannins’ attach to the enamel. These tannins are found in substantial amounts in coffee, tea and red wine. Foods such as curry, pasta sauce and berries are also thought to stain teeth.

Tar in cigarettes is the other main cause of external staining. Tar causes a brown or black stain known as tobacco stain. Tobacco stains are difficult to clean, which means they will not come off with brushing. It’s best to stop smoking as soon as you can, but we also know how difficult it can be to stop. Nicotine replacements, exercise, chewing gum, and avoiding stress can help.

Staining treatments

The easiest way to keep your teeth white is by preventing staining in the first place. If you already have stained teeth however, then you might want to consider one of these staining treatments:

• Brushing. Simply brushing with toothpaste removes most stains. However, you’ve probably noticed that brushing alone doesn’t remove stains entirely. Even if you brush twice a day, stains will still build up over months and years.
• Scale and polish. The good news is that dentists can remove surface stains with a scale and polish. However, a scale and polish will not necessarily make your teeth white. This is because age-related issues such as darkening of the dentine mean you might have naturally yellow teeth.
• Bleaching. If you’re looking for white Hollywood-style teeth, then you’ll want bleaching. This treatment is the best way to change the colour of your teeth from yellow to white. Keep in mind however that teeth bleaching only lasts a few months, after which you will need to get the teeth rebleached. Also, teeth bleaching doesn’t work on false teeth, fillings, veneers or crowns.

If you’d like to talk to us about tooth discoloration treatments, then don’t hesitate to contact us today. Also, remember that the best and safest place to get a bleaching treatment is from a dentist.

The post Teeth Stains: Causes and Treatments appeared first on Benson Dental Practice.

]]>