[Tooth Whitening]
Tooth whitening is a popular and conservative method of removing dental stains and whitening teeth. Teeth bleaching is a result of the oxidation of chromogenic materials by free radicals of the peroxide. There are two principal ways of teeth bleaching:
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Power bleaching
This form of teeth bleaching involves high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. The most common teeth bleaching agent for power bleaching is hydrogen peroxide at concentrations of about 35%.Due to their caustic nature, these teeth whitening materials have the potential to cause soft tissue injuries, which usually heal uneventfully within one to two weeks. Therefore this way of teeth bleaching is performed only in the dental office with appropriate protection of the oral soft tissues.
Recent studies have shown that light sources such as Zoom and Brightsmile used for in-office teeth bleaching can accelerate the tooth whitening process. In some cases, an eight shade color change can result from a one hour light activated treatment such as ZOOM. This type of whitening is very effective, but a Dentist must evaluate the patient prior to this type of whitening procedure.
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Professional Teeth Bleaching at Home
This is a more common way of bleaching teeth. It involves custom-made bleaching trays and syringes containing a safe bleaching gel. Teeth bleaching gels for home use are usually of thick viscosity, pleasant tasting, and carbamide peroxide at different concentrations. Tooth whitening involves two short office visits. The first one is for taking impressions for the custom-fabricated trays and the second one to pick up the trays and the bleaching agent. One needs to wear the gel-containing trays only two or more hours for a few days. The teeth bleaching results on yellow/brown teeth are most dramatic.
Some patients may experience some sensitivity which usually diminishes during the course of treatment. Some teeth bleaching gels contain potassium nitrate which seems to reduce tooth sensitivity.
Teeth bleaching at home has no influence on the enamel wear rate. Carbamide peroxide does not damage surfaces of existing fillings. However, remember that fillings don’t bleach.
In severe cases of dental staining, such as tetracycline stains, even a combination of power bleaching and professional teeth bleaching at home may not yield desirable results. In such cases, the only remedy to create a natural beautiful look is the placement of porcelain veneers.
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Nano Geraniotis, D.M.D.
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