teeth whitening

Whiten natural teeth safely and easily. Types of tooth whitening include in-office whitening, home bleaching and whitening toothpastes. Each type having its benefits and considerations. Teeth bleacing procedures can help remove internal and external stains. Steps to teeth whitening procedure is simple and easy to follow.

In-office Teeth Whitening Home Bleaching Whitening Toothpaste When for Tooth Whitening Why do Teeth Whitening How to do Tooth Whitening
cosmetic dentistry teeth whitening

What

What types of teeth whitening treatment are available for cosmetic dentistry?

Teeth whitening aims to whiten natural teeth. Teeth bleaching will not work on dental fillings,veneers, crowns, bridges or prosthetic teeth. There are a variety of teeth-whitening products :

  1. In-office dentist whitening
  2. DIY teeth-whitening kits or home bleaching kits
  3. Teeth-whitening toothpaste

Before you determine which option to use for whitening teeth, you may like to take a look at the pros and cons each of the following dental bleaching services and products.

In-office teeth whitening

Instant results in 1 visit

Take-home bleaching kits

Done in comfort of your home

Whitening toothpaste

Cleans surface stains

When

When should I do teeth whitening?

If you are looking to brighten a dull smile and would like a non-invasive and safe treatment option, teeth whitening is a safe and simple cosmetic dental treatment easily and commonly done to improve yellowish teeth.

Teeth are made up of 3 layers levels:

  1. enamel : that is the tough outer layer of your tooth
  2. dentine : that is soft
  3. pulp : that is the inner layer with vessels and soft tissue

The natural colour of teeth falls in between white to yellow and will have shdaes of red and grey colours. Typically, grey color shades in teeth may increase as you get older. Teeth enamel also thins through wear and tear, the darker dentine layer can begin to show through and abosrb minerals from the pulp making teeth appear yellowish in color.

If your teeth has extrinsic stains or surface stains due to tea, coffee drinking or smoking, professional teeth cleaning at your dentist and teeth bleaching will normally be suited and effective in renewing your smile.

However, if your teeth has intrinsic stains or deeper stains caused by tetracycline medications or if teeth is tranparent in nature, tooth bleaching may not resolve these conditions. Instead, other dental treatment service such as crown or veneers may be the recommended cosmetic treatment option.

So if you have a dull smile and want to refreh its look, consult with your dentist on what types of stains is affecting you before even determining which teeth whitening treatment – in-office dentist whitening or DIY at-home bleaching.

Why

Why should I opt for that specific tooth whitening method and what are the considerations for each dental whitening type?

1. In-office dentist teeth whitening

#1 – benefit 1

Dentists can correct diagnoses on underlying problems that cause teeth discolouration and provide you with a proper treatment plan and determine if you are suited for whitening treatments. In recent years, you may have heard of teeth whitening spas, opting for whitening at a dental office with licensed dentists differs from visiting a cosmeticians because your teeth is assessed by a qualified individual. Your dentist can check on precautions, considerations as well as ensure you whitening treatment procedure is done safely under professional supervision.

#2 – benefit 2

In-office whitening is fast. It is completed in one visit and normally within an hour or so. Home bleaching and DIY kits, on the other hand, require several hours or wearing over several days to weeks.

#3 – benefit 3

Your dentist whitening results are immediate after treatment. Your dentists will do a shade comparision before and after treatment, so you can see the contrast on teeth color shade improvement instantly. Unlike DIY teeth bleaching whereby results are difficult to track.

The main consideration for in-office dentist whitening may be its costs. If so, you can also opt for custom-fitted home bleaching trays from your dentist office. Take-home kit allows you to perform whitening at your own time in the comfort of your home. Personalized bleaching tray enables less gum irritation compared to over-the-counter kits because the tray fits perfectly over specific teeth. There are no over-spills and you have the security that the whitening agent is a certified whitening gel.

2. DIY teeth-whitening kits or home bleaching kits

#1 – benefit 1

Home bleaching kits enable you to control the place and time to have whitening done.

#2 – benefit 2

For individuals with a tendency for sensitive teeth or who cannot open their jaw for long periods of time required for in-office whitening, take-home bleaching kits may be suited to them to whiten a lusterless teeth. Home bleaching kits normally contains a lower concentration of whitening agent and using the product less often may help reduce sensitivity. The whole whitening process will however take longer.

Before you purchase a home bleaching product, do first check with your dentist on the type of teeth stains you have to avoid the waste of your finances, effort, time or perform a treatment that may not work or perhaps is detrimental to your teeth condition type.

Choose a reliable whitening brand that has certifications on product safety and has been quality controlled. You may like to do a background check on the credentials of your whitening product. There are counterfeit and non-effective or even potentially harmful products on the market. Consider safety first before undergoing any cosmetic dentistry.

Follow your home bleaching instructions of your trusted take-home whitening kit. Using more of a whitening product or placing on for extended period of times will not help increase the whitening process but can actually cause harm to your teeth.

DIY teeth whitening may also come in the form as a tooth-whitening pen or adhesive strips. Regardless of each application form, home bleaching and dentist whitening procedures normally uses active chemical called peroxides to bleach teeth.

3. Teeth whitening toothpaste

Whilst take-home kits and in-office teeth whitening gels contains carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide that chemically bleaches both surface stains and the tooth itself, most tooth-whitening toothpaste uses some form of abrasive components to remove surface stains adding in some other ingredients.

Tooth whitening toothpaste targets to physically clean of rub stains off teeth surface. Its levels of abrasives are generally low and does not wear teeth surfaces down. Foaming agents clean teeth surface. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or others ingredients (such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate, pentasodium triphosphate, citric acid, sodium tripolyphosphate) chemically alters the electrical charge to prevent stains from sticking to teeth.

In general, whitening toothpastes may be used for surface stains and teeth cleaning, with limitations on its whitening effect.

How

How does in-office whitening and home bleaching work?

The active ingredient that whitens teeth is peroxides in the form of carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide releases hydrogen peroxide in the presence of water. Hydrogen peroxide chemically bleaches teeth on the outer surface and within the inner tooth itself. Peroxides can lighter teeth beyond your natural colour at a high enough concentration.

DIY home teeth-whitening products normally should not exceed a certain peroxide percentage. Different countries have different rules regarding the permitted concentrations of hydrogen peroxide released by products and who may provide these. This is to limits the risks of toxicity and is not based on whitening effects to your teeth. Some countries do not permit more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide whereas other countries may allows products of up to 12% hydrogen peroxide to be sold over the counter.

At your dentist office, the peroxide levels used for in-office teeth whitening are usually higher of up to between 20% and up to 35% hydrogen peroxide to enable faster whitening effect. Home bleaching gels from your dentist office may also be slightly stronger then over-the-counter bleaching kits and is administered based on their professional judgment one the suitability of concentration level for each individual.

Weaker concentrations of peroxide normally act at the surface of the tooth enamel compared to higher doses done at your dentist’s office.

How is in-office whitening done?

For in-chair whitening at our cosmetic dental center, your dentist first does an assessment for you on your teeth. If dental whitening is suited for your, your dentist takes the color shades of your teeth before the start of whitening. At this point, if you have not had teeth cleaning and scaling done for sometime, you are able to opt for a professional dental clean that is a separate treatment from your teeth whitening process.

Once ready, your dentist places either a rubber shield along your gum margins. This acts as a protective barrier from the whitening gel to your gums. The whitening agent is applied to teeth surface. A light source is placed over teeth to activate and accelerate the whitening process. The active ingredients in the whitening gel breaks down and as oxygen gets into the enamel on your teeth, stains are removed.

When the whitening cycle is complete, your dentist cleans and removes the rubber shield. A post treatment tooth shade comparison is then made. You are able to compare on the number of shades improvements before and after treatment.

How is home bleaching done?

If you opt for home bleaching treatment at BIDH cosmetic dental center, your dentist first does an assesment on your tooth condition if you are a candidate for teeth whitening.

A tooth impression is taken to make your custom-fit tray. Your dentist determines the perioxide concentration gel to dispense. After 2 hours or at a your convenice, you are able to collect your trays and whitening kit. Instructions on how to apply, clean and use your take-home kit is provided to you.

  • Avoid having the whitening agent contact with gums as much as possible
  • Avoid swallowing the whitening gel
  • Do you attempt to excessive bleaching your teeth
  • Some people can also experience temporary sensitivity in gum or teeth. If your teeth are sensitive, do stop using the home bleaching kit and alternate the use of the kit. If unsure, contact our cosmetic dental center.

A good-fitting bleaching trays is an important aspect if opting for home bleaching toi you use less bleaching product and there is no excessive gel that overflow. As you may have to wear it for more than 30 mintuets, you do not gag or have excessive salivation. Custom-made bleaching trays can normally be re-used if you keep them for future home bleaching sessions.

Conclusion

All teeth whitening procedures using either one of two techniques:

  1. bleaching peroxide gel contained in in-office whitening and home bleaching kits that removes surface stains and deeper stains within the tooth.
  2. non-bleaching procedure contained in toothpastes or during a professional dentist teeth cleaning that uses either special chemical or a polishing agent to help remove physical surface stains

A bleaching technique will change the natural shade of your tooth with more visible results and a more dramatic improvement in shades.

You should consult your dentist before undergoing cosmetic whitening procedures. Your dentist help you assess stain types on your teeth and form realistic expectations. Some consideration and scenarious such as whiten near exposed tooth root may not whiten on what you may think is achievable, and may in fact cause sensititivty.

Teeth whitening is always recommended to be supervised and done under the care of a professional. This is to make sure that your teeth remains healthy and avoids potential harm or damage to teeth. Studies show that as long as procedures are done correctly, tooth whitening is safe. Learn more about bangkok tooth whitening in detail.

complimentary consultation

Make an advance appointment for a treatment plan with our dentists. There is no obligation to start treatment. Find out what treatment is specific to you.