Our general concept of beauty includes white sparkling teeth. Teeth bleaching is a procedure available to help everyone to improve a teeth look. Teeth bleaching perform discoloration of tooth enamel by the application of external agents. This procedure removes stains using gel containing carbamide peroxide, which acts upon stains oxidizing them into a white color. The teeth are regenerated to their natural color. The tooth structure remains undamaged. There two main options to whiten teeth. One is professional bleaching in dental office and the second is home teeth bleaching under dentist monitoring. Each choice has some advantages.
In office teeth bleaching is more expensive but this technique has such priority as speed, professional care and experience which provides outcome predictability. The whole teeth bleaching process is under monitoring of the professional dentist.
In office teeth bleaching dentists use hydrogen peroxide gel which is much stronger and more efficient than the carbamide peroxide gel used in home whitening systems. The dentist can use the bleaching agent alone or in combination with a light/laser. Most dentists use laser energy to accelerate the procedure of bleaching. The laser doesn’t penetrate the teeth. It just activates the bleaching agent and initiates reaction of whitening process. The high energy of laser promotes to excite the peroxide molecules and liberate oxygen from gel without overheating the pulp of the tooth.
Firstly, patient is isolated with a liquid dam to keep the material on the teeth and to protect the gum tissue as well. The patient is provided by special glasses to protect the eyes. Then dentist refines the surface of the tooth with pumice-like material. Next, a peroxide-based gel is applied with a light to assist the whitening process. The light is placed in front of the teeth and switched on. At the end of the procedure the bleaching agent is washed out and special toothpaste is applied. The final color of teeth is noted in about fortnight post treatment.
Professional service in dental office provides internal bleaching, as well as external one. Internal bleaching is performed on devitalized tooth which is much darker than the other teeth. This is non-vital tooth where root canal treatment was in the past. The internal stain of dentin changes color of the tooth from inside out. Internal bleaching can cure this using peroxide which percolates through the enamel into dentin and lighten the dark color from the inside out.
Regardless of which method was chosen, result of teeth bleaching depends on color of teeth and the reason of discoloration. You can get a better effect with brown or yellow teeth. Teeth bleaching procedure of gray teeth caused by staining inside the tooth does not get such success.
All bleaching materials used to lighten teeth work on natural tooth structure and don’t impact on dental work such veneers, crowns (caps) and bridges.
The side effects of bleaching are temporary tooth sensitivity and mild gum irritation, but that last only during treatment and one or two days afterwards. This is normal and expected effect.
Generally, after completing of bleaching process, the color of teeth fades slightly and then remains constant for 6 months to a year, sometimes longer. With proper care, lighten teeth can keep bright color for a few years.