If you're teeth are stained, yellowing or otherwise

If you're a smoker then the problem can be even worse. Tobacco tar sticks to teeth just like glue, and yellow teeth are just one of the many problems associated with smoking (relatively minor when One considers the wider health issues, but that's another article).

Most toothpaste manufacturers provide at least one 'whitening' toothpaste in their range, often marketed as a smokers' toothpaste. The ingredients of these toothpastes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but common ingredients include hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. These whitening toothpastes can help to reduce the build up of staining molecules such as tannins, but regular brushing alone is unlikely to tackle a serious yellow-teeth issue.

Apart from the food we eat, the drinks we drink and the tobacco we smoke, we must also contend with plaque bacteria and tartar. No matter how clean and fresh your mouth might feel right now, or even after you've just brushed you teeth, your mouth is absolutely teeming with bacteria. Millions of them. They live on your tongue, the insides of your cheeks, your palates - and of course on your teeth. Even the smoothest-looking teeth are actually pitted with little nooks and crannies at the microscopic level, and bacteria love the warmth, damp and constant food supply provided by your mouth.

Of course brushing and flossing daily keeps bacteria numbers down and helps to prevent the acid they produce from rotting your teeth, but many people find that even with regular brushing, plaque begins to build up into tartar. Tartar control toothpastes help to reduce tartar build up, but make little impression upon existing tartar.

Professional teeth whitening by a dentist is of course the best way to remove stains from your teeth, but for many people this is a relatively rare luxury - most dentists aren't cheap. Luckily, teeth whitening pens offer an affordable solution for mild to moderately stained teeth.

Teeth whitening pens contain a bleaching gel (usually a combination of hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide, stabilised with propylene glycol and flavoured with peppermint) that let you easily and simply apply a thin layer of gel to affected teeth. This bleaching gel works to remove stains easily.

Teeth whitening pens offer a cheap, easy and effective way to remove stains from your teeth and prevent excessive build up of plaque and tartar.