Teeth Whitening

 

Laser teeth bleaching. This picture taken by a turkish dentist at Dis Bahcesi clinic.

Definition:

It means bleaching of your teeth to make them lighter. So it is false to think that this procedure will make your teeth brilliant white. As we mentioned before it only lighten the current color.

 

Causes of whiteness loss:

There are a lot of causes that make your teeth lose their whitish color and brightness. And we will mention them below to avoid:

• Excessive drinking of tea and coffee.

• Antibiotics which mothers take during pregnancy like tetracycline can cause permenant teeth stains for their babies.

• Smoking.

• Excessive consumption of fluoride.

• Poor dental hygiene.

• Trauma that cause damage of tooth blood supply.

• Aging, as old aged people have worn teeth in which dentin layer exposed after enamel layer worn out that gives dark appearance of teeth.

• Genetics

• Dental materials, When you restore your teeth with amalgam restoration, it will give your teeth a dark appearance and your teeth will be esthetically unacceptable.

• Radiation and chemotherapy.

 

How dentists can do teeth whitening:

Teeth whitening needs you to visit dental clinic 2 to 3 times.

First, Dentist will take an impression for your teeth to make a mouth guard and after that he gives you instructions to clear how to use it with whitening gel. Then you will use mouth guard at home by applying the gel at mouth guard then put both of them on teeth for a definite period of time over a few weeks. Some types of whitening gel can used for 9 hours at a time, which will make the treatment period short.

These days, there is another technique called (Laser bleaching) in which dentist covers your teeth with whitening gel after that he will focus the laser on the gel to activate for an hour to start the whitening process.

So it is preferable to whiten your teeth at dental clinic not another sites like beauty centers to make your teeth in safe and have your teeth whitened on the prescription of a dentist.

 

Summary:

Teeth bleaching is only for lightning of teeth not make them brilliant white as we mentioned before.

And this process is harmless for teeth as dentists use bleaching gel matches with your teeth structure and the degree of white color you want to reach depends on the whitening gel used and your teeth structure.

The most common side effect of dental bleaching is teeth sensitivity especially for hot and cold food and drinks. But this side effect disappear after 2 days from the bleaching. And to reduce this sensitivity, dentists apply fluoride after the process and prescribe desensitizing toothpaste which also contain fluoride to treat your dental sensitivity.

Effect of whitening differs from person to another but in general its effect lasts for 6-24 moths. But to increase the durability of this process, you should avoid coffee, tea and smoking as they stain your teeth easily at short period.

All people can have their teeth bleached except people who have dental disease especially and oral disease in general. Also nursing mothers, uncontrolled diabetic patients, pregnant women and children who have teeth which are not erupted completely.