White teeth give an appearance of youth and beauty, obtaining a very healthy smile. Maybe you’ve always wondered how to whiten your teeth
HOW TO WHITE TEETH?
The teeth can be whitened, with teeth whitening, by applying hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. These products release oxygen atoms. This released oxygen is filtered through the enamel and dentin structure, breaking down the pigment molecules into simpler, colorless molecules.
TYPES OF TEETH WHITENING TECHNIQUES
Teeth whitening can be classified into:
- Teeth whitening in the clinic
- Home teeth whitening
- Combined teeth whitening
Dental whitening in clinic
Dental whitening in the clinic is a very effective and comfortable treatment for the patient with good results. This type of whitening is performed in the dental clinic in a single session of approximately 45 minutes.
Home teeth whitening
Teeth whitening at home is one of the longest lasting treatments. This is done using a personalized Brace and a whitening gel which is applied at night, for about two weeks.
Combined teeth whitening
Combination teeth whitening is a type of treatment that combines teeth whitening in the clinic with teeth whitening at home. With the combination of both treatments, better results are obtained and that these are more durable.
MANEUVERS PRIOR TO TEETH WHITENING
What is really important is everything that needs to be done before starting a whitening treatment, and that is what will allow us to later achieve the results but in a relatively simple, even predictable way, and above all safe for our patients.
Exclusion factors
Detect the exclusion factors. If you are going to be able to whiten, but firstly everything that can make whitening can not work as well as it should be taken into account. In the clinical and radiological examination, highlight those clinical situations such as lesions in poor condition, which must be treated and solved prior to the bleaching treatment.
Color take
Know the color of the teeth of our patient, by taking color, quantifying this through a numerical value. Color guides (obtaining color subjectively) or spectrophotometers (obtaining color objectively) can be used
Individualized diagnosis and personalized treatment plan
Modification of habits
Reduce the amount of foods with strong pigments, such as tobacco, coffee, red wine, etc. With these foods, the whitening is not stopped, but the whitening is slower.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF TEETH WHITENING IN CLINIC?
Before performing any type of teeth whitening, professional dental hygiene is performed. In this way, it is ensured to act on a sanitized and plaque-free mouth.
In-clinic teeth whitening consists of the following steps:
- Isolation of the lips by means of a lip separator.
- Isolation of the mucosa with a special gel that polymerizes, so that it is protected so that it does not suffer any damage.
- Application of the whitening gel on the vestibular (external) surfaces of the teeth to be bleached (usually up to the second premolar) of an approximate thickness between 0.5 to 1 millimeter.
- Application of the LED light for 15 minutes. At the Smile Care Plymouth clinic, we make three applications of whitening product together with the LED light.
Between sessions, and at the end, teeth are washed with water to remove the remnants of whitening gel and to rehydrate the tissues.
DOES TEETH WHITENING HURT?
Teeth whitening causes pain, what it can cause is dental hypersensitivity. This is related to the passage of hydrogen peroxide through the enamel and dentin, which produces slight pulp irritation. For this reason, whitening is contraindicated in patients with uncontrolled dental hypersensitivity.
CONTRAINDICATIONS RELATED TO TEETH WHITENING
However, there are a number of situations in which our dentist may not recommend teeth whitening. Such cases can be:
- Cavities
- Gingival pathology
- Tooth sensitivity
- Staining
- Restorations
- Others
Cavities
The presence of cavities should receive restorative treatment before performing the aesthetic treatment, since it is not possible for the whitening product to penetrate a dental structure affected by bacteria.
Gingival pathology
If there is any alteration or pathology of the gums, such as gingivitis or periodontitis, in the case of this second pathology, great caution must be taken and it can cause a greater degree of dental sensitivity after the whitening treatment.
Tooth sensitivity
Patient with presence or prone to tooth sensitivity, due to ingestion of very cold or hot food or beverages.
Staining
Some types of stains. For example, in being intrinsic stains caused by tetracyclines (antibiotic) since these types of stains do not disappear or improve with teeth whitening.
Restorations
Tooth whitening has no effect on unnatural teeth, such as the presence of restorations, crowns, bridges or prosthesis. In this case, if the whitening is performed, these prosthesis must be changed in order to achieve the same color of the cavity.
Others
Another case in which teeth whitening is not recommended is when the patient is pregnant or breastfeeding. And finally, if the patient has not reached 18 years of age, since there can still be changes since the development is not completely finished.
HOW LONG DOES THE EFFECT OF A TEETH WHITENING LAST?
No treatment is forever. The success of teeth whitening and its longevity depends on the habits of the patient. Depending on the type of whitening and the patient, whitening times vary. The dental whitening in the clinic, the minimum time of duration would be approximately 6 months. Home and combined teeth whitening usually last an average of 2 years.
It is necessary to count on a fact not always by means of whitening it is possible to achieve the desired tooth tone as well as the adverse effects the tone that is achieved also depends on the person. Therefore, the prior assessment of the dental aesthetic specialist is essential, who will advise us of the best system to achieve the desired tone.
