Worse for teeth longevity - whiteining strips or dentist metal scraper?

[SaltyNuts]

My teeth have lost a good bit of enamal, and they get brown/black over time. The dental assistant then scrapes it off with their metal scraper. Which, I fear, is also scarping off the enamal, making it worse.

So I was thinking about using whiteing strips before I go, so there is less to scrape off, thereby causing less enamal to be scraped off. Make sense? But I'm worries that the whiting process itself might hurt my teeth - I know they sure hurt after I did it once in the past. Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[Staples]

Even if you dye tarter white, it will still be rough when they scrape against it and they will scrape it the same amount as if the tarter were black.

 

[disappoint]

Find a dentist that uses an ultrasonic scaler to remove tarter.

 

[mindless1]

I would go to a different dentist to get a second opinion. There are now "enamel repair" toothpastes, might not be a magic bullet but still, might not hurt.
What if you use milder whitening agents or leave them in for a shorter period?

 

[momeNt]

Each time I see you post lately, I wince, a little bit of your lurker status is lost every day.

 

[darkswordsman17]

WTF you're teeth get black?

They scrape tartar off, not enamel. You could damage the enamel some when doing that, but they should be doing a good enough job that it is negligible compared to what you're doing that's causing that.

Sounds like you need to change your diet and go to the dentist more often. Fuck, if your tartar is turning black then you're doing something that is causing it. Tartar is basically the shit from bacteria eating sugar on your teeth. They also produce acid that eats through your tooth enamel.

Whitening it will just make it stand out too. Tartar will actually bleach better than your teeth, so it'll be a brighter white.

I would go to a different dentist to get a second opinion. There are now "enamel repair" toothpastes, might not be a magic bullet but still, might not hurt.
What if you use milder whitening agents or leave them in for a shorter period?

I don't think those "enamel repair" things are doing that. I don't think you can really rebuild enamel, it's just a belief that putting on a barrier to prevent further degradation of the enamel. I think the "repair" is just bits of calcium that's supposed to sit in any pits in your teeth.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I always wondered how bad those scrapers are for teeth. That is the part of the dental visit I hate the most, it's just so cringy having sharp metal grinding at my teeth like that and I'm always worried they think a filling is tarter and end up ripping it out.

 

[mindless1]

WTF you're teeth get black?

They scrape tartar off, not enamel. You could damage the enamel some when doing that, but they should be doing a good enough job that it is negligible compared to what you're doing that's causing that.

Sounds like you need to change your diet and go to the dentist more often. Fuck, if your tartar is turning black then you're doing something that is causing it. Tartar is basically the shit from bacteria eating sugar on your teeth. They also produce acid that eats through your tooth enamel.

Whitening it will just make it stand out too. Tartar will actually bleach better than your teeth, so it'll be a brighter white.



I don't think those "enamel repair" things are doing that. I don't think you can really rebuild enamel, it's just a belief that putting on a barrier to prevent further degradation of the enamel. I think the "repair" is just bits of calcium that's supposed to sit in any pits in your teeth.

True, they can deposit calcium or other minerals on the porous dentin, sort of like putting bondo on a car rust spot. It'll come off and go back on, and while it's on, will reduce the amount that food and drink stain the tooth itself though the mineral deposits may actually stain faster than the enamel does, and the acid will eat away at that and hopefully neutralize before getting into the dentin. You're just slowing down further erosion, but isn't that the point, at least until more dental work is necessary?

 

[ElFenix]

Dental tools are actually softer than the enamel is and so can't scratch the enamel

 

[MrSquished]

You can get a better quality whitening product from your dentist. I had molds taken of my teeth within which to squeeze out a gel into and sleep with. I waited till I was done smoking cigs before doing that, and by then the molds were toast. So haven't done it yet. But it'[s gotta be better than store bought strips.

 

[mindless1]

Dental tools are actually softer than the enamel is and so can't scratch the enamel

My spatula is softer than an egg shell but I can break eggs with it.

 

[Cappuccino]

Whitening process will not harm your teeth. They wont scrap of your enamel LOL. Just do it.