Tooth bleaching whiten teeth and helps to get rid of discolorations and discoloration. Bleaching is among the most popular cosmetic dental treatments because it can considerably improve how your teeth look. Most dental professionals perform tooth whitening.
Whitening is not a one-time procedure. It will need to be duplicated from time to time if you wish to preserve the better color.
Only a small number of people have a white smile from birth. The rest have to go to a dentist. Teeth whitening in our clinics is carried out by different methods without risk to health and very quickly.
Professional teeth whitening may be required, for example, due to bad habits like smoking, drinking bad wine, abuse of strong tea or coffee. Nicotine causes your enamel to turn an unpleasant yellow color, and inexpensive wines contain many dyes that stain your teeth as well.
Safe enamel brightening may be needed because of:
- Dyes in food – excessive consumption of carbonated beverages negatively affects enamel;
- long-term use of the antibiotic tetracycline – trying to get rid of respiratory problems later you have to think about removing the nasty plaque;
- Fluorosis – a dental disease caused by high fluoride levels in food or water.
In all these cases, gentle teeth whitening by a dentist will be required. Measures taken at home will be ineffective and will not get rid of problems forever. To get back a beautiful smile, choose a dental clinic, taking into account the prices, treatment methods and the experience of the doctors.
Features and Variety of Procedures
Safe whitening will show results that last for a long time. In one visit to the doctor, your teeth will become 8 shades lighter. An experienced doctor will ensure that there are no unpleasant consequences of the procedure, reducing the risk of damage to the enamel.
The following methods are practiced:
- mechanical;
- chemical;
- photo whitening.
The difference between the procedures is the price and the method of performance, which gives the patient a choice. The service is performed in several stages:
- first, the cavity is cleaned of plaque and deposits;
- Then the lips and cheeks are isolated with a retractor;
- The teeth are treated with the product and irradiated for about 20 minutes.
The duration of the procedure is less than an hour, and if necessary, it is repeated after a week. The method is recommended for those who have developed yellowing of the enamel due to continuous smoking, the use of colorful products, diseases or age-related changes. The price of the service depends on the selected method of whitening the teeth.
Why Do You Need Whiten Your Teeth?
The outer layer of a tooth is called the enamel. The color of natural teeth is produced by the reflection and scattering of light off the enamel, integrated with the color of the dentin under it. Your genes impact the density and smoothness of the enamel. Thinner enamel enables more of the color of the dentin to reveal through. Having smoother or rougher enamel also impacts the reflection of light and for that reason the color.
Every day, a thin coating (pellicle) forms on the enamel and gets discolorations. Tooth enamel likewise includes pores that can hold discolorations.
The most common factors for teeth to obtain yellow or stained are:
- Using tobacco
- Drinking dark-colored liquids such as coffee, cola, tea
- Not taking great care of your teeth
Aging makes teeth less brilliant as the enamel gets thinner and the dentin becomes darker.
It is also possible to have spots inside the tooth. These are called intrinsic discolorations. For example, intrinsic spots can be caused by direct exposure to excessive fluoride as a child while teeth are establishing. Other causes consist of tetracycline antibiotics. They can stain a child’s teeth if taken by a mom during the 2nd half of pregnancy or by a child who is 8 years old or more youthful. Teeth are still establishing during these years. Trauma may also darken a tooth.
Tooth whitening is most reliable on surface area (extrinsic) discolorations.
Types of professional teeth whitening at the dentist
All methods of teeth whitening can be divided into 2 large groups:
- Professional – carried out in a dental clinic. The procedure is absolutely safe if carried out on new equipment and quality professional gels are used. Teeth are whitened as desired and as indicated, for example, if the patient has veneers.
There are many methods:
- Laser – a safe and gentle method based on the photo-thermal effect. The laser activates the gel applied to the tooth, causing the breakdown of pigmented structures in the enamel and dentin. Allows you to correct discoloration caused by fluorosis – a disorder of the mineral metabolism of the hard tissues of the teeth, caused by an excess of fluoride in drinking water, drinking strong tea and coffee, smoking, age-related discoloration of the hard tissues of the teeth.
- Chemical – an effective, but not the safest method of whitening with multicomponent gels and pastes. Suitable only for healthy teeth and gums. It is not used for caries, gingivitis, and hypersensitivity of teeth.
- Ultrasonic – exposure of pigments to ultrasound. It works in this case as an abrasive, but it is not in contact with the tooth and does not destroy enamel;
- Home ZOOM whitening (Nite White, Day White). A professional system (PHILIPS) that whitens teeth up to 4-6 shades. Despite the name “home”, it is preferable to make the procedure in a dental clinic, because before applying a bleaching composition professional dental hygiene is required to achieve the best effect and an even tone.
- Folk methods. Almost all folk home methods (which are used independently at home and not in the clinic) are dangerous because they create favorable conditions for caries. For example, a mixture of soda and peroxide, crushed activated charcoal – these are hard abrasives that damage enamel, creating scratches on it. Fruit acids, vinegar disrupt the structure of biologically active phosphates and destroy enamel. And whitening pencils can provoke tooth sensitivity.
How to Be Prepared for Teeth Whitening at Dentist
Other dental issues can affect the success of tooth whitening. For example, cavities have to be treated prior to teeth are whitened. That’s since the whitening option can go through decayed areas and reach the inner parts of the tooth. If your gums have declined, the exposed roots of your teeth may appear yellow or blemished. Bleaching products will not make them whiter.
If you have tooth decay or receding gums, bleaching may make your teeth delicate. Whitening also does not work on ceramic or porcelain crowns or veneers.
Whitening can be carried out in the dental workplace or at home. For in-office whitening, your dental expert most likely will photograph your teeth first. This step will help him or her to keep an eye on the development of the treatment. Your dental practitioner also will examine your teeth and ask you concerns to learn what caused the staining.
Next, the dental practitioner or a dental hygienist will clean your teeth. This will get rid of the film of bacteria, food and other compounds that develop on your teeth and add to the staining. Once this is done, the bleaching procedure starts.
For bleaching at home, your dental professional can make trays to hold the whitening gel that fit your teeth exactly. Home bleaching gel generally needs to be used daily for 2 to 3 weeks. Non-prescription sets likewise are widely offered for home use. They supply trays to hold the gel, or whitening strips that stick to your teeth. Talk with your dental practitioner if you want to use these home items. Be sure to follow instructions to prevent overuse and possible damage to your teeth and mouth.
How Does Dentist Perform Teeth Whitening?
There are two main types of whitening procedures. Vital whitening is carried out on teeth that have live nerves. Non-vital lightening is done on a tooth that has actually had root-canal treatment and no longer has a live nerve.
Vital Whitening at Denstist
The most typical type of vital tooth bleaching uses a gel that is applied straight to the tooth surface area. This product contains some type of hydrogen peroxide.
Tooth whitening can be done in the dental expert’s workplace or at home. In-office lightening enables your dental professional to use a more powerful bleaching gel. A customized light or laser triggers the gel and enables whitening to take place quicker.
In-office whitening normally takes 30 to 90 minutes. You will require 1 to 3 visits. The number will depend upon the approach used, how severe your stains are and how white you desire your teeth to be. Various types of discolorations react in a different way to the treatment.
First, your dental expert will apply a substance that covers and secures the gums around the teeth. Then, the whitening agent will be put on the teeth.
Some bleaching agents are activated by a laser light, unique lights or by the heat from these lights. After the whitening representative is used, the dentist will shine the light on your teeth. If they are badly discolored, your dental practitioner might suggest that you continue the whitening process at home for a couple of days or weeks.
For at home whitening, your dental practitioner will take impressions of your upper and lower teeth and will make customized mouthpieces to fit you. The mouth piece has to fit well. A close fit helps the whitening representative remain in contact with your teeth.
At home, you will fill each mouthpiece with a bleaching gel your dental professional supplies. You will use the mouth piece for numerous hours every day. Many individuals attain the quantity of bleaching they desire within a week or 2. Nevertheless, you might need to use the mouthpiece for 4 weeks or longer.
You likewise can buy whitening products nonprescription. They include a weaker whitening agent than the items you can get from your dental practitioner. For that reason, bleaching may take longer. The bleaching agent is applied as a gel positioned in a mouthpiece or as a strip that adheres to your teeth. Non-prescription mouth pieces fit less safely than the kind you obtain from your dental expert.
Whitening toothpastes are readily available as well. They include abrasives that get rid of discolorations on the enamel.
Non-Vital Whitening at Dentist
Essential whitening may not improve the appearance of a tooth that has had root-canal treatment because the stain is originating from the inside of the tooth. If this holds true, your dental practitioner will use a different procedure that bleaches the tooth from the inside. He or she will place a whitening agent inside the tooth and put a temporary filling over it. The tooth will be left this way for numerous days. You might require this done only once, or it can be repeated until the tooth reaches the desired shade.
Follow-Up
If you discover that your gums are white or sore, follow up with your dental practitioner.
Whitening is not a permanent solution. The stains will come back. If you smoke or consume a lot of staining foods or beverages, you might see the brightness begin to fade in just one month. If you prevent these sources of staining, you might not require another whitening treatment for 6 to 12 months.
Re-whitening can be done in the dentist’s workplace or at home. If you have a customized mouth piece and bleaching agent at home, you can whiten your teeth as frequently as you need to. Discuss your whitening schedule with your dental practitioner. You can discuss what whitening products would work best for you.
What Are the Dangers During or After Teeth Whitening Procedure at Dentist?
Bleaching is not likely to cause severe side effects, although some individuals’s teeth may become more sensitive for a short while. You might get moderate gum irritation also. Women need to not have their teeth whitened while pregnant. The result of the whitening materials on the development of the fetus is not known. Given that the procedure is cosmetic, it must be postponed until after delivery.
If you feel your teeth would benefit from whitening, call your dental practitioner to talk about the procedure.
Types of Teeth Whitening
Dr. Smile
Dr. Smile is a tooth whitening technology using an erbium (cold) laser. Dr. Smile laser (LAMBDA S.p.A., Italy) is a safe noncontact whitening, during which the machine breaks down pigment structures and cleanses teeth of plaque and tartar. Dr. Smile is a computerized system with integrated software for all treatments. The computer has programs for all procedures with clinical information and parameters. Therefore, this teeth whitening is safe and meets the requirements of the protocol, the tone is obtained almost perfectly uniform.
Advantages
- Suitable for patients with hypersensitive teeth.
- It is possible to lighten teeth by 8-12 tones in a single session.
- The laser device has programs and clinical data for automatically determining the time and intensity for whitening to the desired shade, teeth are whitened evenly.
Disadvantages
- High price.
- There are restrictions for the procedure. Absolute contraindication is pregnancy, lactation, mental illness, childhood.
Stages of whitening
- Protection of the gums from the laser.
- Applying Dr. Smile hydrogen peroxide-based gel to the teeth.
- Teeth whitening with laser.
Amazing white
Amazing White is a professional teeth whitening system with Apoza Pluslit LED lamp (USA). Emits cold light, does not heat the tissue, so there are no side effects such as pulpitis. It is used with a gel based on hydrogen peroxide, in which atomic (active) oxygen is released under the influence of the lamp, which has a pronounced reactivity. It is a safe oxidizing agent, which is good for removing biologically active contaminants, cleans the enamel from toxic bacteria.
Advantages
- Bleaching in one session (color change up to 10 shades).
- Removal of stubborn pigmentation from enamel and deep layers.
- Teeth acquire a natural tone, without artificial bright white “tile” color.
Disadvantages
- You cannot whiten teeth with fillings.
- A short-term increase in tooth sensitivity is possible.
Stages of bleaching
- Definition of the color of enamel.
- Application of the gel.
- Clinical whitening with a lamp, stage duration – 15 min.
- Removal of the gel, reapplication, whitening for 15 minutes (second stage).
- The third stage is similar to the second. The session consists of 3 phases and takes approx. 60 min.
Zoom 4
WhiteSpeed Professional Philips Zoom is a world-renowned technology and professional teeth whitening system. It is used with the original professional gel based on hydrogen peroxide with an alkaline pH of 7.5-8.5 and phosphate ACP, which enriches the enamel with calcium, fills the dentinal tubules and saturates the hard tooth tissue with minerals. Zoom 4 is an improved lamp of the 4th generation, which brought aesthetic dentistry to a whole new level. Its principle of operation is based on the action of LED lamps of cold light.
Advantages
- Strengthens enamel and reduces tooth sensitivity.
- Changing the color of enamel in one session up to 8 shades on the “Vita” scale.
- Results last up to 3-5 years.
Disadvantages
- Within 14 days after bleaching, it is necessary to observe the so-called “white diet” (do not drink or eat food containing dyes, only light products).
- Not suitable for patients with an allergy to hydrogen peroxide.
Stages of whitening
- A test to determine the actual tone of the patient’s teeth and the desired shade.
- Protection of the eyes, mucous membranes of the oral cavity.
- Applying a whitening gel to the teeth.
- Exposure to a lamp that activates the whitening properties of the gel.
- Application of remineralizing gel to strengthen the tooth tissues.
Comparison of different types of professional teeth whitening
| Whitening method | Benefits | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Laser | Safe bleaching with decomposition of pigments in enamel and dentin. Brightening by 8-10 tones. The result lasts for 2-3 years. | High price. Does not even out the tone and fillings, on the contrary, it becomes more noticeable (because the tooth is lightened, but the filling is not). Has contraindications: pregnancy, some diseases, etc. |
| Ultrasound | Soft and gentle cleansing. Enamel is not whitened, but becomes lighter due to the removal of plaque. Does not provoke tooth sensitivity. | Does not clean plaque from fissures, does not remove deep pigmentation. |
| Chemical | Deep cleaning from fissures. | Aggressive effect. Causes demineralization and destruction of enamel. If the technique is not followed, it can cause burns of the mucosa. Increases the sensitivity of the teeth. |
| Air Flow | Brightens enamel by several tones in one session. | Noise from the abrasive jet creates discomfort. Enamel tone does not change, tetracycline stains are not removed. It is possible to damage the enamel (microscratches), after which the plaque quickly forms again. |
| LED (LED cold light bulbs) | Gentle and gentle whitening. The tone becomes lighter, but the color does not change to an unnatural “tile” | Has contraindications: allergies to components of the gel, childhood, crowns, etc. |
The cost of professional whitening
Cost of laser teeth whitening
The cost of laser teeth bleaching is tough to select. Because it is a cosmetic procedure and not covered by dental insurance provider, there is no “standard” fee. Depending upon your location, the cost can vary from $400 to $1,500.
How much does it cost to get your teeth chemically bleached?
Expert teeth lightening on average expenses around $650. The actual cost can climb to $1,000 in some cases, depending upon the type of teeth lightening item used and the dentist’s fee.
Cost of Air Flow teeth lightening
The first option is two have a normal scaling procedure (with ultrasonic or hand scalers), which might be needed if you have a great deal of old calculus. Air polishing is then used for stain removal and finer cleansing at the end. This will indicate that you spend for a regular hygiene consultation plus an air flow consultation. On average you can expect to pay in between $70 and $140 for this sort of treatment.
How much do LED teeth whiteners cost?
The price for whitening with LED light is quite inexpensive. The whole procedure will cost you no more than $160.
How long does the effect last after a professional whitening procedure?
In most cases, the exact period depends on the patient and his or her compliance with all the doctor’s recommendations. On average, the effect lasts for several years, and if the dentist’s prescriptions are violated, only a few months.
Professional methods
Professional whitening involves a whole course of measures aimed at the gradual brightening of tooth enamel. Brushing can help you regain your natural color, but the strongest whitening can only be done by photo whitening, laser whitening and other professional methods. It is possible to lighten enamel even at home, but here we must be very careful. And the whitening in this case is only possible by one or two tones. To date, there are many ways to choose a particular one depending on the desired outcome and the characteristics of the mouth of the patient. In any case, a qualified doctor will tell you about all the pros and cons of the upcoming procedure, will inform you about possible complications and provide advice on how to continue with your life. With proper care, the result of the procedure will last up to 10 years, because powerful substances based on carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate or hydrogen peroxide are used to lighten the enamel. It is the use of such substances that allows for superior results.
Laser method
In this case, the dentist uses a laser as a catalyst. This clarification is considered one of the safest and most painless. In the first stage, a special gel is applied to the enamel, and then it is affected by the laser beam. Due to the oxidant in the gel, oxygen is formed, through which it becomes possible to lighten the pigment deep layers of dentin. In this case, the effect can be observed after just half an hour after the procedure. After that, it is extremely important to follow a strict diet and not to consume any colorful products. If you follow all the doctor’s advice, the whiteness will last for 5-8 years, but if you break them – no more than a year.
Air Flow
Professional oral cleaning using the Air Flow method is cleansing using a sandblasting machine. As a result of such manipulations the teeth get their usual, natural shade, there is no trace of bacteria and yellow plaque. This technology of cleaning implies the use of a special solution capable of breaking down plaque from the inside. First, a special therapeutic mixture containing baking soda is sprayed on the enamel under pressure. The brightening is achieved by removing dirt and plaque, as well as plaque and calculus. The doctor pays special attention to cleaning the spaces between the teeth, which are usually neglected in daily life. The effect of the procedure lasts for about 3-4 years. To maximize the results, this cleaning can be done once a year. If simple oral hygiene guidelines are not followed, the teeth will lose their original color after only a few months.
Photo or chemical whitening
In this case, several stages are supposed to be carried out sequentially:
- First, a thin layer of special gel is applied to the surface of the teeth.
- Then it is affected by an apparatus with ultraviolet or LED radiation.
- Under the influence of the gel is activated and begins to penetrate into the enamel layers, brightening the dark pigment.
The effect of this procedure lasts for approximately 4-6 years. Following a whitening diet after bleaching is extremely important, otherwise the color of your teeth will quickly return to its original shade. In the case of chemical whitening, special reagents are used. Their effect does not require the use of any lamps or beams, the active components of the substances penetrate into the enamel and destroy the dark pigment.
Recommendations of specialists
Before whitening, it is necessary to see a dentist for consultation and to determine all the nuances of the upcoming procedure.
- Recommendations of dentists.
- Treat all existing dental diseases beforehand.
- Have children undergo professional tooth cleaning from the age of two years old with a frequency of 2 times a year.
- For longer lasting results, follow certain dietary restrictions.
It is not always necessary to whiten teeth to white color, in most cases it is sufficient to have a professional hygienic cleaning, which will brighten and polish the enamel. The procedure, above all, should be safe, so the choice of teeth whitening method should be left to the dentist.