Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dentistry procedure where your teeth are whitened in a safe and controlled manner
set to its original color. Before treatment can be started, it is important to have an examination and assessment by a dentist to find out if your teeth are suitable for whitening. It is also good to be aware that many restorations, such as crowns and fillings, cannot be whitened.
Preparation
If there is a lot of tartar and superficial discoloration on the teeth, it is also good to go to
the dental hygienist to remove these plaques before starting a whitening. This prepares
the surface of the teeth and makes the teeth whitening process more effective.
Teeth whitening and methods
Dental clinics today can offer two main types of whitening methods to achieve whiter teeth:
laser whitening with, for example, Zoom, or home whitening with, for example, Opalescence and
Whiteness Perfect.
Bleaching with laser/led is done at the clinic with hydrogen peroxide and home bleaching is done with
carbamide peroxide. Both methods use peroxide to whiten your teeth. The higher one
the concentration of peroxide in some treatments means faster results, but there are also
greater risk of side effects such as burns, strong itching and damage to the gums. Therefore is
it is important to choose the bleaching method and bleaching agent that best suits you personally.
We on Family Dental Care only uses home bleaching as we think it gives the best and
longest lasting results.
The teeth whitening process
Impressions are then taken of your teeth where the dentist then prepares plastic splints for you to use
at home. In your plastic trays, you apply a bleaching gel that comes in different concentrations. The trays are then placed in your mouth and the whitening gel is used until you are satisfied with the results. After 7 days of treatment, most people will notice that their teeth are whiter and brighter.
Some dentists prescribe that splints only need to be in place overnight while others
recommend using them 1-2 hours per day for best results.
After teeth whitening
Avoid eating, drinking, smoking and sniffing while wearing the bleaching trays. Also avoid eating and drinking
colorful foods during the bleaching process and a few days after the end of the treatment.
The results of teeth whitening vary greatly from person to person, and also depend on which ones
conditions your teeth have. The pigment in the tooth is decisive for how white teeth you can get.
Factors that can affect the bleaching result are illness, intake of drugs and medications as well
what your lifestyle habits are. Smoking, alcohol and colorful foods can also affect the shade of your teeth. Some people get great results and respond optimally to whitening while others only see a slight difference after treatment.
During the time you are whitening your teeth and for some time after the whitening process is completed, it is common for you to be able to
experience tingling in the teeth when consuming hot/cold food and drink. This is not dangerous and will go away
usually within a few days after you stop bleaching your teeth.