Tooth Whitening
Over time, our teeth do gradually become discolored
or yellowish due to aging or personal habits such
as drinking coffee, tea, alcohol or smoke. In
today advancement in technologies, there is a
variety of smile whitening methods and technologies.
Your smile can easily be whitened in a number
of ways. |
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Benefits of Teeth Whitening
- Corrects brown, yellow and
mottled tooth staining
- Works on people of all ages
- Improves a "dull" smile, restoring
brightness and bringing a smile alive
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There are two basic options for smile whitening:
- In-office tooth whitening:
instant whitening results using light-activated gel
to brighten teeth.
- At-home whitening systems:
customised trays and prescription whitening gel done
at home
In-office tooth whiteing gives immediate whitening
results after treatment. At-home tooth whitening systems
need to be done as directed by your dentist over a period
of time to attain the result warranted.
Benefits of In-office Tooth Whitening
- Done by professional whereby initial checks are first done to ensure that tooth whitening treatment is suited for individual
- Faster treatment time completed within
one visit in about one hour
- No need to wear the tray over night
as used in at-home whitening systems
Benefits of Home Whitening
- Home whitening can done in privacy at home
Types of In-office Tooth Whitening
Procedure for In-office Tooth Whitening Treatment
- First Evaluation and pre-whitening
tooth shade selection
- the pre-whitening tooth shade
is selected from array of tooth-shaped porcelain
tabs for post-treatment comparison
- professional dental scaling
and polishing is usally done before the bleaching
treatment is performed, but it is optional if
the patient's teeth is already cleaned
- Isolate Teeth to be Whitened
- A dental dam is placed to isolate
teeth and prevent the whitening agent from irritating
or damaging soft oral tissues
- Place Eye Protection for protection
- Apply whitening gel
- teeth is dried and the bleaching
compound applied
- Expose whitening gel to laser light
- the whitening gel is activated
using a light source. This "activation" shortens
the needed treatment time and/or makes the whitener
more effective
- Leave whitening gel for a prescribed
time or repeat 4 and 5
- Remove whitening gel
- the whitening gel and dental
dam is washed and suctioned off
- Determine Post-bleaching
Tooth Shade
- after the bleaching treatment
has been completed, a shade evaluation is done
to see how much whitening is achieved
Procedure for Home Bleaching Treatment
- First evaluation and Individual
customised trays made
- at the dental office, patients
are scheduled for a tray fitting where impressions
or molds of the upper and lower teeth are taken
- from the impressions, customised
trays are formed
- Application instructions are
given along with syringes of whitening gel
- the customised trays are delivered
and tested for proper fit
- instruction on the application
of gel and how to wear the tray is then given
- The tray and whitening gel are worn
for several hours over a period of time as prescribed
by your dentist
Recovery Expectations
Some people who undergo in-office whitening may experience
some sensitivity in their teeth. This sensitivity should
be gone within 1-2 days. Sensitivity from at home whitening
will dissipate after a 1-2 day rest between whitening
applications.
Postcare Instructions for Tooth
Whitening and Take-home Bleaching Solution
- Avoid consuming color-staining
foods and drinks such as coffee, tea, red wine, coke,
etc. as well as smoking for at least one week
- Proper oral hygiene care should
be carried out to maintain and avoid diminished whitening
results
- If experiencing some sensitivity
in teeth after tooth whitening
- Avoid hot, cold or acidic
food and beverages
- Pain medication be taken as
directed as long as there is no medical contradiction
based upon your medical history
- Use flouride rinse and toothpaste
for sensivity teeth
- If experiencing some sensitivity
in teeth for take-home bleaching
- Wear the tray for a shorter
period of time (for example, two 30-minute sessions
vs. two 60-minute sessions)
- Stop whitening your teeth for
two to three days to allow your teeth to adjust
to the whitening process
Care for Tooth Whitened Teeth
Simply follow good oral hygiene practices:
- Brush at least twice a day. It is
good practice to brush after eating and before bedtime.
- Floss at least once to twice a
day.
- Rinse with fluoride rinse before
bed. Swish the fluoride rinse vigorously in your mouth
for at least one minute. Do not swallow any of the
rinse and do not eat or drink anything for 30 minutes
- Be careful about chewing toffees,
gum, grainy rolls and tough food in this area
- See your dentist for regular professional
check-ups and cleanings
Considerations to Tooth Whitening
Smoking should be stopped before teeth are bleached.
Smoking can cause tissue damage on teeth and may defeat
the effect of whitening. The best candidates for whitening
are those with stains caused by coffee, tobacco or aging.
Considerations
to Laser Tooth Whitening |
| Extensive
composite and porcelain restorations |
If you have
pre-existing cosmetic restoration (bonding, porcelain
crowns, bridge, veneers or fillings ) they will
not be bleached and you may need to replace them
in order to match your new color shade. |
| Pre-existing
sensitive teeth and allergies |
Individuals
with sensitive teeth and gums, receding gums and/or
defective restorations should consult with their
dentist prior to using a tooth whitening system.
Anyone allergic to peroxide (the whitening agent)
should not use a bleaching product. 2/3 of these
people will experience some sensitivity for 1-4
days. This is usually reversible upon termination
of bleaching. |
| Severe
gray/blue banded tetracycline staining |
Guarded prognosis
required. Stains in the gray family (such as from
tetracycline) can be harder to remove, if not impossible.
These stains can take up to six months or longer
to whiten. Whitening may only reduce amounts of
'masking'. |
| Discoloration
in gingival third or exposed yellow |
Guarded prognosis
for whitening required. |
| Pregnant
or lactating women and young children |
No know adverse
effects but avoid use as a precautionary measure. |
| Translucent
teeth |
May appear darker
after bleaching. |
| Temporomandibular
Joint Disorders |
May want to
consider bleaching one arch and monitor comfort
before proceeding with the other |
| Gum
disease, worn enamel, cavities, and exposed roots
|
Cavities and
gum diseases need to be treated before undergoing
any whitening procedure. |
| Noncompliance
or unrealistic expectation |
The degree of
whiteness is different from one individual to another,
the degree of shade change obtainable is dependent
on each person's reaction. Certain people react
well while others may not be as responsive. |
Whitening will not correct certain forms of discoloration.
For these cases, a dentist may recommend veneers instead
which cover the entire tooth. Teeth with prosthetics,
bonding, tooth-colored fillings will not bleach. Individuals
with yellow tones to their teeth respond best. The degree
of whiteness will vary from individual to individual
depending on the condition of the teeth, nature of the
stain and individual reaction to the whitening agent.
Goto section on Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs) on Tooth Whitening
Goto section on Zoom 2! Tooth Whitening
Goto section on BriteSmile Tooth Whitening and website on Thailand BriteSmile Tooth Whitening
Goto section on Laser Tooth Whitening
Goto website on Tooth Whitening in Bangkok
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