It is a way of lightening the teeth by using a chemical agent that breaks down stain producing chromogens on the surface of teeth. It is also called Bleaching since it is done with a bleaching agent like Hydrogen Peroxide or Carbamide Peroxide.

Why teeth whitening is required?
The reason for treatment differs from person to person. Like variations in our hair and skin colour, teeth colour is also different from one person to another. Indications includes:
Basic tooth staining: Stains on Teeth
Aesthetics: Makes Teeth look whiter thereby improving your smile.
Fluorosis: Fluorosis causes pitting and yellow stains, which can be made less evident by bleaching.
Tetracycline staining: Tetracycline stains can be made less evident.
Tobacco Staining: Stains due to tobacco can be made less visible by bleaching of teeth.

How common is discoloured or stained teeth?
• While no one knows for sure how many of us suffer from stained teeth, it is clear that how healthy and white our teeth are is something we care about.
• These days, we see a shiny smile as a sort of social status symbol, making whitening products and procedures popular. Most of us (99%) consider our smile our most important social feature.
• A simple stroll down any drugstore oral care aisle reveals a wide assortment of whitening trays, strips, toothpastes and mouthwashes. If one is ready to whiten his/her smile, there are options for every budget but it pays to know which are safe and effective and which may do more harm than good.