You may be jealous of other people who seem to have pearly whites that you have only dreamed of having. This may lead you to look up all sorts of tip to help you get white teeth. The problem is that there is a lot of information out there that is all a myth while some are actually facts to whitening your teeth. It can be hard to sort through all of this information. To help you, here are some of the top whitening myths that you may come across.

1. It can be easily fixed.

Whether you get this done at a dentist or if you get over the counter products for whitening teeth, you may think that this is an easy process that will take one application and you can be done with it. In reality, you will often need multiple treatments and this can take some time. So if you know a big event is coming up that you want to have white teeth for, you need to start a lot earlier than just the day before the big event. Often times, it is a gradual process that can take a lot of time and effort on your behalf.

2. Whitening toothpaste and mouthwash at the store will handle it.

These products do have the capabilities to whiten your teeth but the changes will not be significant enough that you will notice any big changes. It can take a lot of time for the teeth to whiten while being exposed to the product so unless you have the stamina to use these products for 20 minutes at a time every day, you are likely not going to notice the results.

3. Whitening gels and pastes that you purchase at the store are the same as at the dentist?

While these products can be effective enough when whitening your teeth, they are not quite as effective as the in-office results that you will get when you go to a dentist for a whitening procedure. Plus, these products that a dentist uses are of a higher quality thanks to the safety protocols in place for the creation of the products.

4. Whitening is permanent.

This can be half true, under some circumstances. However, for the most part this is completely a myth. A whitening just cleans the stains off of the surface but consuming products with a lot of acid to it can start to reverse the effects. Generally, it can last a few years to indefinitely if you maintain it and avoid products that will stain your teeth.

5. Crowns and fillings whiten just like your real teeth.

Things like crowns and fillings are not going to get any results from whitening procedures. If these are not things that you see when you smile, this may not be a problem for you. However if one of your front teeth are porcelain or have a crown, you will distinctly notice the difference between your whitened tooth and the fake materials.