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Teeth looking yellow? Teeth whitening: what it is and who it suits

Whitening lightens your teeth from within, in a session at the clinic or with custom trays made for you there. It suits healthy teeth whose own colour is yellow, and the examination decides whether you need it at all or a cleaning would do.

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A thin terracotta line drawing on handmade paper: a row of front teeth, and on a sheet beside it an empty whitening tray shaped like the arch, with olive sprigs around.

What whitening is, and who it suits

Whitening does not paint the tooth from the outside. The whitening agent passes into the enamel and breaks down the coloured molecules inside it, so the colour changes from within the tooth itself. It is the same kind of agent at the clinic and at home. What differs is how strong it is, who puts it on and who is watching it, how many times, and what protects your gums while it works.

“From within” is the whole difference. Tartar and the stains sitting on the tooth come off with a cleaning, not with whitening. Fillings, crowns and veneers have a fixed colour, and whitening does not change it. So whitening works on one thing only: the natural colour of your own teeth.

Drag and see: what cleaning removes, and what whitening changes

An illustration. How much lighter teeth get differs from person to person, and fillings and crowns keep their colour.

Who it suits

Your teeth are naturally yellow. Not from tartar, and not from the stains of coffee, tea and smoking, because those come off with a cleaning. Many people ask for whitening when what they need is a cleaning, because the stains were on the surface.
Your teeth are healthy. No decay, no inflamed gums, no tartar. If there is any, it is treated first, and whitening comes after.
You want lighter teeth with no trimming and no covering. If colour is the only issue and your teeth are healthy, the examination decides whether whitening is enough on its own before you think about veneers or crowns.
You are planning cosmetic work on your front teeth. Whitening comes before veneers or crowns, not after, because the colour of a veneer or a crown is fixed and is chosen to match your new colour.

At the clinic or at home

The difference is not where it happens. At the clinic, a stronger agent is used under supervision with your gums protected; at home, a milder agent goes in a tray made for your teeth, over several days; and often it is both. Which suits you shows at the examination, and the full picture is in Whitening at the clinic or at home.

The cost is discussed after the examination, and what decides it is explained on What decides the cost of your treatment.

How it happens, step by step

Whitening is usually one session, but what comes before and after it decides whether the result comes out even and lasts. Here are the steps as they are, with no minutes or days attached, because the timing for your case is something you find out at the examination.

1
The examination, and sometimes a cleaning firstThe doctor examines your teeth, your gums, their true colour, and what is already on your front teeth in fillings or crowns. Tartar, decay, inflamed gums or sensitivity are all treated first, or the result comes out uneven or it hurts. Many people stop at the cleaning because it was enough, and you will see that once it is done.
2
Protecting the gumsAt the clinic, the gum is covered with a protective barrier before the agent goes on, so you usually do not feel it there, and your lips and cheeks are held away from the teeth for the whole session. At home, the tray that fits your teeth properly is the protection: it keeps the agent on the tooth and away from the gum, and that is the main difference between it and strips.
3
The agentThe whitening agent goes on the teeth that show when you smile, and stays on for the time the doctor sets, sometimes in more than one round in the same session. The doctor is watching your teeth throughout: if sensitivity appears, he stops or adjusts. It is the agent that whitens, not the light. The light or laser you may have heard of is meant to speed up the agent’s reaction during the session; it does not change how long the result stays afterwards.
4
At home: the tray and the daysIf the method is home, or both together: custom trays made to fit your teeth, moulded at the clinic to your own mouth, not a ready-made tray from a pharmacy or an online kit. You put a much milder agent in them than the one used at the clinic, and you wear them for the time the doctor sets, over a number of days. The result comes gradually. Do not extend the time or strengthen the agent on your own to speed things up: what goes up is the sensitivity, not the whiteness. You can stop for a day or two if you feel it, then carry on.
5
Follow-upFor the first two days after whitening the enamel takes up colour more readily, so the doctor gives you instructions for that window, and the main one is keeping anything coloured away: coffee, tea, smoke, sauces. After that, regular cleaning at the clinic on the schedule the doctor sets, and a top-up session when the doctor decides, not every time you feel the colour has faded.

What do you see straight after the session?

The difference usually shows in the same session. The final colour settles over a few days: the tooth is dry straight after the session, then settles slightly darker as it takes up moisture again, which is normal. So the colour you see in the mirror at the end of the session is not the one you live with; the one a few days later is. Nobody can promise you a particular colour, because teeth do not whiten to order.

The downsides and the alternatives, before the advantages

The downsides come before the advantages, because whitening is cosmetic, not treatment, and there is no urgency to it. Here is what to know before you book:

Temporary sensitivity. Sensitivity to cold for a few days is common, and it usually settles on its own. It is more noticeable with the stronger agent at the clinic, and with trays if you leave the agent in longer than you were told. If it bothers you, ask the doctor about a toothpaste for sensitivity.
Gum irritation. If the agent touches the gum, it can turn red or briefly white, and it usually recovers on its own. At the clinic the gum is covered with a protective barrier before the agent goes on; at home, a tray that fits your teeth properly is the protection.
A result that varies from person to person. It depends on the original colour of your teeth and the reason for it, not the method alone. Yellow lightens more easily than grey. Expect your own teeth, naturally lighter, not a colour off a screen.
The colour drifts back, gradually. Teeth darken a little over time, for everyone, but not back to where they were overnight; the details are under “Do teeth go yellow again after whitening?” below.
Not once and for all, and not to be repeated at will. Whether a top-up session is needed, and when, is decided at the examination. Repeated whitening without an examination adds sensitivity without necessarily adding whiteness.

What does not whiten, and what responds less

The first never whitens; the others respond less, or need examining before any whitening. The examination shows the answer for each:

Fillings, crowns and veneers. Their colour is fixed and whitening never changes it, so one on a front tooth keeps its old colour and stands out. That is why whitening comes before any cosmetic work on the front teeth; the details are in the question below.
A tooth darkened by a knock, a root canal or a medicine. A tooth that darkened after a knock or a root canal, or teeth that have been greyish or banded since childhood, sometimes from a medicine taken back then, respond less to ordinary whitening and sometimes need a different approach or a covering.
White spots and marks from enamel defects. A white spot usually does not disappear with whitening, and in the first while it can show more, because everything around it has lightened. It has a treatment of its own, and the examination shows which.
One dark tooth on its own. That is usually not only a colour problem: the nerve inside it may have been damaged after an old knock, even if it does not hurt. It is examined before any whitening.

The alternatives

A cleaning. If your colour sits on the outside of the tooth, in tartar and stains, a cleaning brings the tooth back to its own colour, often lighter than you expected, and stops there. Either way, the cleaning comes first. Cleaning or whitening: what is the difference.
Tooth-coloured bonding. For a mark or a colour on one tooth that does not respond to whitening: a tooth-coloured layer built on the tooth in the same sitting, often with less trimming or none.
A veneer or a crown. When a tooth darkened by a knock, a root canal or a medicine does not respond, or there is a chip or a shape you want to change as well. These cover the tooth, though, and most of them trim it, and trimming does not grow back. That is why whitening is the simpler step, and a veneer only comes in if whitening is not enough or there is another reason, not instead of it. The downsides of veneers, before you decide.

The advantages

It trims nothing. Your tooth stays your tooth, and that is the difference between whitening and any veneer or crown.
It can be topped up without starting from scratch, when the examination says so.

When it is not right for now, or should wait

In these cases the answer is usually not “no”. It is “not yet”, and you find out what has to happen first:

Decay, inflamed gums or tartar. Whitening is not done over tartar or inflamed gums, or on a tooth with decay or a crack: the agent reaches where it should not, and it hurts. They are treated first, and whitening comes after.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: it usually waits. Whitening is cosmetic, and there is no urgency to it, so the usual practice is to wait until after the birth, and many dentists prefer to wait until after breastfeeding too, because there is not enough safety data in pregnancy. What does not wait is cleaning your teeth and gums.
Children: it usually waits. Their teeth are still developing, and the nerve inside is larger and closer to the surface, so sensitivity is higher. For a teenager it is decided at the examination.
Teeth that are already very sensitive. Teeth that hurt with cold before any whitening, or worn enamel, or a receded gum that has left the neck of the tooth exposed: whitening can make it worse. Sometimes the sensitivity is treated first, sometimes the method changes to a milder agent over days, and sometimes whitening is not for you right now. The examination decides.
One dark tooth on its own. It needs the nerve examined before any whitening, because the cause is usually not colour.
A filling, a crown or a veneer on a front tooth. Not a closed door, but it changes the whole plan: whitening first, then replacing the piece to match your new colour if need be, and that is talked through before you start, not after.

So, do I need whitening or a cleaning?

Nobody can answer that from a distance, because the real question is whether your colour sits on the outside of the tooth or is the tooth’s own colour. That cannot be told over the phone or from a photo sent from abroad; it shows at the examination. The order is the same either way: an examination, then a cleaning, then whitening if you still want it once you have seen your true colour. Many people stop at the cleaning, because it was enough.

What to do from here

1
Get examined before you whitenThe examination establishes your true colour, and whether you need whitening at all or a cleaning would do.
2
Say what is on your front teethA filling, a crown or a veneer on a front tooth changes the whole plan because it does not whiten, so mention it from the start.
3
Talk about sensitivity, the occasion, and your timeAre your teeth already sensitive? Is there an occasion coming up? Can you commit to a tray every day? Those three are what steer the decision between the clinic, home, and both together, and they are talked through at the examination. If your date is close, say so on the first call: the examination, and sometimes a cleaning, are not skipped for an occasion.
4
If you are in Amman for a whileIf you are only in Amman for a stretch, a posting, a contract, a semester, or you come and go, say so before anything starts. In-clinic whitening is usually one session, but the examination comes first and sometimes a cleaning before that, so the visits are planned around your dates as far as the work allows. If your whitening was done in another clinic or another country, bring what you know: which method, and roughly when. Your teeth can be examined here, and what suits them now is decided at the examination.
5
After the sessionThe first two days make a difference: follow the doctor’s instructions, set out under Follow-up above. After that, the daily habit: brush twice with a soft brush and an ordinary, non-abrasive toothpaste, floss once, and rinse with water after anything dark. What keeps the colour is covered under “Do teeth go yellow again after whitening?” below.

When to call

Whitening rarely leads to an emergency, so most calls about it are questions rather than cases. But some signs should not wait for the next check-up, whether you whitened with us, at home, or anywhere else:

Call this week: sensitivity to cold after whitening that has not eased after a few days, or has grown stronger.
Call this week: gums that turned white, red or burnt-looking after whitening and have not returned to normal after a few days.
Call this week: the colour came out uneven, or white spots appeared after the session and have not gone.
Call this week: one tooth has darkened on its own, before whitening or after it. That is usually not only a colour question; it needs the nerve examined.
Call today: a burning feeling or a white patch on the gum after a strip, a home product or the session itself, with pain that is getting worse.
Call today: sharp pain in a tooth or a swelling in the gum. Usually that is not the whitening itself but something that was already there and has shown itself; it needs examining.

Call and we will find you the earliest slot, and tell you what to do until you arrive. Before any painkiller, ask the doctor first, so it suits your case. If a tooth hurts right now, or wakes you at night: Toothache: what to do right now.

And who treats you?

The clinic has a team of dentists, Dr. Adnan Alakhras among them. At the first visit you find out the state of your teeth and gums and their true colour, whether whitening suits you at all or something simpler would do, and which method suits you, before any plan is put to you. His qualifications are on his page: Read about the doctor and the clinic.

Questions people ask

Does it hurt?

Sensitivity is common: brief twinges during the session for some people, or sensitivity to cold for a few days, which usually settles on its own. The gum is covered with a protective barrier before the whitening agent goes on, so you usually do not feel it there. At home the agent is milder and so is the sensitivity, and you can stop for a day or two if you feel it. If the sensitivity does not settle, call us. Before any painkiller or a sensitivity toothpaste, ask the doctor first, so it suits your case. If it hurts badly now and the clinic is closed: what to do until morning. If fear itself is the problem, say so from the first moment and we will go at your pace. When the visit is hard.

How long does it take?

At the clinic it is usually one session, and sometimes it is split depending on the colour of your teeth and how sensitive they are. At home, the trays are used over a number of days and the result comes gradually. Before either there is an examination, and sometimes a cleaning, because whitening is not done over tartar or inflamed gums. If you are only in Amman for a stretch, say so before anything starts and the visits are planned around your dates, as far as the work allows. The actual timing for your case is discussed at the examination. If your date is close, say so on the first call: the examination, and sometimes a cleaning, are not skipped for an occasion.

Are there payment plans?

Not at the moment. The doctor is looking into it, and wants a trustworthy partner before he commits to anything; the details are under Payment and insurance on What decides the cost of your treatment. What you can do now: book the examination, and the decision after it is yours. You will find out whether you need whitening at all or a cleaning would do, and the order is: the examination, a cleaning if needed, then whitening if you still want it. The cost itself is discussed after the examination, not over the phone.

Do teeth go yellow again after whitening?

They darken a little over time, for everyone, but not back to their old colour overnight. The colour drifts because teeth keep taking on coffee, tea and smoke, and because they darken with age on their own. The pace is more in your hands than in the session’s: your habits afterwards, your cleaning, and your follow-up. At the examination the doctor will tell you what he expects for your case. Does whitening fade, and what keeps it.

At the clinic or at home?

The difference is not where it happens but how strong the agent is, who is watching it, how many sessions, and what it does to your gums and sensitivity. At the clinic, a stronger agent is used under supervision with your gums protected, in one or two sessions; at home, a milder agent goes in a tray made for your teeth, over several days; and often it is both, clinic first and home to follow. Which suits you depends on the original colour of your teeth and its cause, how sensitive they are, the state of your gums, and what is already on your front teeth, and all of that is seen at the examination, not over the phone or in a message from abroad. Whitening at the clinic or at home.

Does whitening damage the enamel?

At the right strength, on healthy teeth, under supervision: no, it does not eat into the enamel or thin it, as far as is known today, and the sensitivity afterwards is usually temporary. What harms is whitening over decay or inflamed gums, repeating it without an examination, a high-strength agent with no gum protection, or the acidic and abrasive mixtures that eat into the enamel while not whitening at all. Enamel that is lost does not grow back. Does whitening damage the teeth or the enamel?

Do fillings and crowns whiten?

No. Fillings, crowns and veneers have a fixed colour, and whitening does not change it. If you have a filling in a front tooth and you whiten, your teeth lighten and the filling stays its old colour and stands out. That is why whitening comes before any cosmetic work on the front teeth, not after, and the colour of the new piece is chosen to match your new colour. If you already have an old piece on a front tooth, replacing it to match your new colour is a separate decision, talked through at the examination.

We suggest only the treatment you need, we tell you why, and we protect your tooth before we think about extraction.

Your next step

The examination. You come in, you are examined, and you find out the true colour of your teeth and the state of your gums, whether whitening suits you at all or a cleaning would do, and which method suits you: at the clinic, at home with trays, or both together. Then you decide, in your own time, with no pressure, whether you live around the corner or are only in Amman for a while.

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Pages that go with this one

Written by: RyanMedical review: Dr. Adnan Alakhras · pending approvalSources: The clinic's services as published: professional whitening and tooth-coloured bonding under cosmetic dentistry · American Dental Association, patient page on teeth whitening · American Dental Association, patient page on tooth sensitivity · American Dental Association, Council on Scientific Affairs paper on tooth whitening · American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, patient page on teeth whitening · NHS, patient page on teeth whitening · Questions patients actually ask, in Amman and from abroad

This page explains the procedure in general; it is not a diagnosis of your case. The decision is made at the examination, and the cost is discussed after the examination.