How is the treatment conducted?
There are two types of teeth whitening to choose. First of them is office bleaching conducted in the doctor’s office and promising quicker results, while the other is home bleaching where you apply it yourself.
Is it possible to achieve the same results in all types of discolouration?
Yellow and light brown discolorations, which develop with time, give the best results if bleached. Dark brown, blue-grey discolorations, however, are ones, which reached the deepest structure of enamel and are hard to remove. Such types of discolouration usually develop as the result of using antibiotics such as tetracycline during teeth growth and may require an increase in teeth whitening sessions in order to achieve desired effects.
How is the office bleaching conducted?
Teeth whitening is conducted in one session. In order to do so, gums are separated and a special whitening gel is applied to the surface of the teeth. Depending on the structure of tooth tissue and the colour tone, the doctor decides whether to use laser, halogen or LED to activate the gel.
How is the home bleaching conducted?
Teeth whitening at home is conducted under the supervision of the doctor. In the first visit, the doctor takes the impression of the patient’s teeth and prepares a transparent tray, which will be applied to the teeth. This tray ensures the appliance of whitening substance by a person at home as well as the protection of one’s gums.
In what period of time I can achieve the results of teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening conducted in a doctor’s office takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour. Teeth colour achieves its final form after a couple of days. Home bleaching conducted with trays prepared with teeth measurements taken in the doctor’s office give the results within 1-2 weeks, depending on the type of gel applied.
Does bleaching damage the teeth?
There is no damage inflicted by a properly conducted teeth-whitening procedure. Will I feel pain during the teeth whitening process? In order to avoid such an occurrence, your dentist may apply fluoride at the end of bleaching procedure.
How long will the effects of teeth whitening endure?
The effects of teeth whitening usually last about 1-2 years. If you aren’t a regular smoker and, don’t consume too much of food and drinks which may discolour your teeth, this period may be even longer. Additionally, if office bleaching will be supported by home bleaching every 3-6 months, this period may further extend.
Is it possible to whiten the teeth discoloured by root canal treatment?
If there is one tooth, which has a significantly darker colour than surrounding other teeth, it means that it lost its vitality or underwent a root canal treatment. In such a case, the whitening substance is applied by a dentist inside the tooth and is changed every 1-2 day until the desired colour is achieved. It usually takes 1 week and the results are astonishing. The new, whiter colour usually remains for an extended period of time.
What should I pay attention to after bleaching?
After bleaching it is better to avoid food and drinks which can discolour your teeth such as tea, coffee, red wine, cherry juice, as well as cigarettes. Additionally, an increased attention general oral and dental care will provide the reoccurrence of discolouration.
What are the alternatives to teeth whitening available at the market?
Apart from teeth whitening applied by or supervised by doctors, there are ready-made bleaching kits available in pharmacies and supermarkets. They are not recommended due to increased risk of complications. They can damage teeth suffering from gum diseases, cavities, and ones with a delicate dental tissue. Such whitening agents should definitely be used after consulting a dentist.
