As you might expect there are no absolutes or guarantees when it comes to predicting teeth whitening results. While there is little question that the technique of using peroxide compounds to whiten teeth can be effective, clinical experience shows that some types of tooth staining will be more stubborn to resolve than others. It also shows that some methods of teeth whitening are more likely to be effective than their counterparts.
Most experts in the field of peroxide-based teeth whitening will probably express the opinion that every tooth has potential for lightening, at least to some degree. The dental literature is full of case reports where inspiring results have been achieved (typically by using an at-home tray-based technique utilizing 10% carbamide peroxide as the whitener). As a methodology, peroxide-based teeth whitening has a reputation for achieving results.
Peroxide-based teeth whitening is simply one of cause and effect. An appropriate whitener must be in contact with a tooth's surface for an appropriate amount of time in order for the whitening process to take place. In those cases where it is expected that the existing tooth staining will be difficult to improve upon or in those circumstances where a person has not achieved the results they had anticipated the person will need to make sure that they have reviewed and do understand their whitener's instructions so to insure that they are using the product under optimal conditions.
Because each type of tooth staining has a different bleaching prognosis it is hard to predict the specific outcome a person's teeth whitening efforts will be able to achieve. The fact that the prognosis for different types of tooth staining can be so different is a primary reason why it is best to have an examination by your dentist before you start your whitening regimen. Doing so will help to establish that your overall whitening goals and expectations are realistic.
Yellow tooth staining (like that associated with aging, exposure to chromogenic foodstuffs, or simply that which is inherent to the tooth) is typically the easiest and most predictable type of discoloration to improve upon. At the other end of the spectrum, blue-gray tooth staining (like that caused by tetracycline ingestion during tooth formation) is among the hardest discoloration to lighten and often despite a person's best efforts, and regardless of the whitening system employed, may never totally loose its grayish tint.
The effort needed to resolve other types of tooth discoloration will typically lie in between these two extremes. Tooth staining derived from tobacco use can prove to be stubborn. Tooth discoloration attributed to tooth trauma can usually be resolved (all though in all cases the status of the tooth's health should be evaluated by a dentist).
If a child chronically ingests elevated levels of fluoride during that time period during which the enamel portion of their teeth is forming a type of staining that dentist term "fluorosis" can occur. Probably the most common way a child can become exposed to an elevated level of fluoride is by swallowing fluoridated toothpaste. For this reason the use of fluoride toothpaste by children should always be supervised by an adult and fluoridated toothpaste should always be stored out of the reach of children. A dentist will typically recommend the use of an unfluoridated toothpaste with all children age 2 and under.
The color of fluorosis staining can range from chalky white to brown. It can usually be anticipated that the appearance of brown fluorosis staining will improve with teeth whitening treatments while white fluorosis staining won't. In the latter case however even though white fluorosis staining won't respond to the tooth whitening process, because the remainder of the tooth does lighten with whitening treatments the white fluorosis stains often become less obvious.
The location of the staining plays an important role in predicting the ease with which it can be expected to lighten. Staining found in that half of the tooth closest to its biting edge will typically provide less of a whitening challenge than discoloration found in the half of the tooth nearest the gum line.
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