Teeth Whitening

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Your smile can be noticed from 100 meters instantly. A bright smile can make you feel better about yourself . It can also help you make a memorable impression. Unfortunately darkened teeth and staining could make such impressions memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Stained and darkened teeth can be caused by the types of food we take. Coffee, tea, cola,  red wine and even smoking reduce the brilliance of your teeth. Bacterial pigments in food and certain medications like tetracycline can also darken your teeth. The mineral structure of our teeth, like a less porous enamel, also contributes to darkening of teeth..

Choosing Good Teeth Whitening Options

When choosing an option for teeth whitening, it is important to settle on a clinically proven method. The procedure should be fast and convenient. You should choose a procedure involving low sensitivity for your safety.

It should be conducted by a dental professional and should be guaranteed to have long lasting results. The procedure should be recommended by a relevant professional body. This is vital in proving that it meets the standard health requirements.

Safety requirements should be adhered to for the protection of the patient. Dental and health records of the patient should be scrutinized before undertaking the procedure. The patient’s allergies and sensitivities should also be taken into consideration.

There are many options and products available for teeth whitening. You could use whitening tooth gels, whitening tooth pencils, laser tooth whitening, whitening tooth paste, and natural tooth whitening.It is recommended that you get yourself checked by a dentist before undergoing any of these procedures.

Teeth Whitening Procedures

Traditional home procedure involves applying the tooth whitening gels to the tooth using a guard tray. Applying small strips that go over the front teeth can also be done successfully to whiten teeth. Oxidizing agents like carbamide  peroxide and hydrogen peroxide effectively lighten teeth.

These agents penetrate the porosities in the rod like crystal structure of the enamel and oxidize the stained deposits. The dentine layer beneath the enamel is also bleached. Office power bleaching uses light energy to accelerate the process of bleaching. Depending on the lifestyle of the patient, the results of bleaching can last several months.

Home bleaching involves the patient performing the procedure by themselves at home. Low concentration bleaching gel is used for the home procedure. The gel and carbamide peroxide used in the procedure, are readily available online and in dental shops. The home procedure is much more cost effective than the office procedure.

Teeth whitening is performed by the application of the oxidizing agent using plastic trays for a short period of time. Well fitting trays retain the bleaching agent to ensure maximum exposure of the tooth to the gel. The tray is left for about 15 to 20 minutes. This is repeated 3 or 4 times for the best results.

If the dentures are stained internally, this discolors the teeth from the inside out. The effective remedy in this case involves internal bleaching. Teeth whitening is ineffective for tetracycline damage or heavy staining especially from blood.

There are also other methods of teeth whitening that use blue light to mask the staining. Bonding involves placing a thin coating of composite material onto the front teeth. A veneer can also be strategically placed to mask the tooth coloration.

Most office bleaching involves light cures on protective areas, painted on gums and papilla tip of gums. This reduces risk of chemical burns on soft tissue. Carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide in low concentrations are far less effective and are mostly used for home bleaching. Guard strips are required to hold the bleaching agent next to the teeth for several hours for 5 to 14 days.

Results vary, some people get positive results in a few days, others get little or no change . Dentists and laboratories can design custom fitted whitening trays. These can greatly improve results for over the counter teeth whitening method.

Typical dental procedures can produce dramatic cosmetic improvement on stained teeth. Some stains like tetracycline stains do not respond to regular bleaching. These may require prolonged bleaching as it will take longer for the bleach to reach the dentine layers. Tetracycline bleaching may require custom made whitening trays, applied overnight for a period of up to 6 months.

White spots may appear on the teeth due to decalcification. Some areas respond faster to the treatment. These generally disappear as other areas begin to respond to teeth whitening. Bleaching is not recommended in case there is decay in the teeth or infected gums.

Originally grayish teeth respond poorly to custom made bleaching. Yellowish discoloration in teeth responds most effectively to bleaching. Bleaching is not effective if  bonding has been performed on teeth. If the bonding involved colored tooth filling, this can be rectified using alternative methods. Such cases may require porcelain veneers or dental bonding.

Many teeth whitening products and techniques provide different outcomes, from positive to no results. Shades are used to judge the effectiveness of various procedures. The most widely used Vitapan classic shade guard has 16 shades. Treatment times and recommendations depend on the initial conditions of the patient’s teeth before treatment.

Power or light accelerated treatment is commonly referred to as laser treatment. This is a common misconception because the laser treatment uses an older technology. Different forms of energy can be used in this procedure including halogens, LED and plasma. Halogens have been clinically proved to produce the best optimal results and are most preferred.

High energy is ideal to excite peroxide molecules without overheating the pulp of the tooth. The power treatment entails separation of soft tissue using light that is resin based. Then whitening gel of hydrogen peroxide dental grade is applied and exposed to the light source for 6 to 15 minutes.

Most power cleaning teeth whitening treatments take between 30 minutes to 1 hour. Less heat and ultra violent emission procedure is now possible due to technological advances. This allows the patient to have the whole procedure in a single dental visit.

Some studies suggest that light or heat have minimal effect on teeth whitening procedures. The main improvement and difference over exclusive use of chemicals could be due to tooth dehydration. Temporary dehydration is caused by light and heat effect on teeth. The light has more of a psychological effect on the patients.

Risks Associated with Teeth Whitening

• The ultraviolet light can be dangerous to the eyes and skin.
• Chemical burns from gel bleaching.
• Unprotected tissue damages like bleaching of mucous membranes.
• Over bleaching, resulting in the bleached effect.
• Cold and hot tooth sensitivity caused mainly by tooth dehydration.
• It may increase the risk of developing tongue cancer.
• Treatment of open dental tubules may involve pain.
• Slight reduction of tooth enamel.
• Slight irritation of mouth tissue, receding gums, sensitivity in teeth, gums and soft tissue.
• Prolonged exposure during home procedure when using remedy containing fruit acids can irritate and sensitize the pulp of the teeth.
• Teeth whitening treatment is not recommended to persons under the age of 16, children have an enlarged nerve chamber and pulp of the tooth.
• The procedure is not recommended to pregnant or lactating mothers.
• Teeth whitening procedure can slightly affect the restoration of composite material like dental cements and amalgams .
• The procedure may restore the color of fillings, porcelain and other ceramics if stained by food, drinks or by smoking.
• H202 in some bleaches has the potential to interact with DNA. It may also have irritant and cytotoxic qualities.
• Internal bleaching involves stains by blood and other fluids leeched into the tooth.  Brightening technology involves bleaching the teeth inside out. This teeth whitening procedure involves drilling the pulp chamber, cleaning, sealing and filling.