What about commercial products to lighten your teeth?

There are no commercial products on the market today that can compare to professional dental treatment for correcting stained teeth. In fact, some products can even harm the teeth with excessive amounts of cleaning abrasive. If your teeth have already lost a certain amount of enamel and you use a strong abrasive product, you can severly damage the dentin or exposed cementum, the inner parts of your teeth - which may actually be the cause of some of the staining in your mouth. Exposed dentin or cementum can have a yellowish appearance and some people buy products to try to remove this type of stain only to find after extended use that their teeth become darker and more eroded.

Therefore, never use a commercial product for treatment of stained teeth unless your dentist first prescribes it. There are products that can help certain types of staining, but only under the advice of the dentist. For example, some smokers may get a small amount of reduction of stains by using certain abrasive toothpastes. However, the abrasiveness of this paste or powder can be harmful to the other parts of the tooth and that is why it is essential to first consult your dentist.