Teeth whitening at our dental clinic offers a safe and effective way to enhance your smile. For instance, our professional treatments remove stains and discoloration, providing immediate, noticeable results. In addition, tailored to your needs, our whitening procedures ensures a brighter, more confident smile in a comfortable and controlled environment.
What is teeth whitening?
A procedure which involves bleaching your teeth to lighten the color of the enamel.
Accordingly, the main ingredients used in tooth whitening products are the chemicals hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. The chemicals usually come in a gel, which is applied to your teeth. Sometimes dentist uses a light too.
What causes discolored teeth?
The outside of your teeth can be stained when:
- you drink tea, coffee or red wine.
- you eat food such as spices, berries or beetroot.
- you smoke cigarettes.
The white enamel layer on the outside of your teeth can also wear away as you get older resulting the exposure of the dentine layer underneath. Surely, this is a yellowish color and causes your tooth to look yellower.
Teeth can also be discolored if:
- they are damaged or injured.
- you took certain medicines, such as the antibiotics tetracycline or doxycycline, as a young child when your teeth were being formed.
When might I need teeth whitening?
If you have stained or discolored teeth, you might want to whiten them.
Indeed, If you are considering this treatment, you should consult your dental practitioner to see if this treatment suits you.
It is not recommended if :
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- you have sensitive teeth.
- you have gum disease.
- you have cracks or holes in your teeth.
- you have untreated dental problems.
Teeth whitening treatments will not work on teeth with crowns, veneers or fillings.
Also, if the problem causing the yellowing is located deep inside your teeth, then a whitening gel applied to the outside of your teeth won’t make your teeth whiter.
Where can I get my teeth whitened?
Only registered dental practitioners can use the strong whitening gels and products containing more than 6% hydrogen peroxide. These are most effective.
Unfortunately, unregulated, unqualified practitioners, may offer teeth whitening services for example in:
- beauty and hair salons
- shopping malls
- salons
- via mobile services
You can also buy teeth whitening kits online or at the supermarket. Usually, These kits may contain bleaching chemicals or charcoal or bicarbonate of soda. However, some kits may not be reliable and if you use them incorrectly, you can cause further dental problems.
Therefore teeth whitening by a non-qualified dental practitioner can damage your teeth and gums. Dental practitioners are responsible for meeting safety and quality regulations and can provide a professional assessment of your teeth.
What type of teeth whitening procedure could I have?
Your dentist or dental practitioner can provide ‘in-chair’ or ‘at-home’ teeth whitening treatments.
In-chair teeth whitening
Some whitening treatments can be done while you are sitting in the dental chair.
Initially, your dentist or dental practitioner applies strong hydrogen peroxide gel. Often a light is placed over the teeth. Definitely, you should leave your dental appointment with whiter teeth.
Take-home teeth whitening
With take-home teeth whitening, your dentist or dental practitioner will custom-make thin, plastic trays that fit over your teeth. They also give you some gel in the correct strength to suit your needs.
Then, at home, you place the teeth whitening gel in the trays. In addition, our dentist or dental practitioner will tell you how much whitening gel to use each time and how long to wear the trays for.
This method of teeth whitening takes longer to achieve results than in-chair treatment. This doesn’t mean that the final result is better or worse.
Internal bleaching
Sometimes a dentist or dental practitioner can use tooth whitening treatment on the inside of the tooth. For example, when teeth have been injured and you have had root canal treatment that has caused staining from inside the tooth.
The whitening treatment is placed in the center of the tooth, where the dental nerve used to be. Your dentist will leave it for several days before cleaning it out and fixing with a filling.
What are the benefits and risks of teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening can improve the appearance of discolored teeth. It‘s likely to cost less than procedures like crowns or veneers.
If you have any cracks in your teeth, the bleach could cause pain or further damage.
Side effects are most likely to happen immediately after treatment. The most common side-effects include:
- temporary tooth sensitivity
- irritation of the gums or mouth
If you Swallow the whitening gel, you can have nausea and stomach irritation.
If the tooth whitening product contains a lot of bleaching agent, it can cause severe irritation or burns. It is dangerous for you to swallow the product.
Tooth whitening products containing high levels of bleaching agents must be used under the supervision of a dentist or dental practitioner.
How much does teeth whitening cost?
The cost of dental treatments and procedures depends on many factors. Therefore, always ask how much a treatment will cost before you start the treatment.
Surely, you should consider the safety of a treatment and how well it works, not just the cost.
What are the alternatives to having my teeth whitened?
Try these tips to avoid teeth staining:
- brush with a soft toothbrush and floss your teeth every day
- don’t smoke cigarettes
- rinse your mouth with water after having food or drink that can discolor your teeth
Some alternatives to teeth whitening treatment are:
- having your teeth cleaned by your dentist or dental practitioner
- using whitening toothpaste
- asking your dentist or dental practitioner about dental treatment to fix your teeth, such as veneers or crowns
Tooth whitening toothpaste
Whitening toothpastes can reduce stains on the outside surface of the tooth. For instance, these toothpastes contain special abrasives and/or whitening agents.
Some ingredients are:
- sodium hexametaphosphate
- hydrogen peroxide
- phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid — sometimes called PAP
It’s best for you to use a soft toothbrushes with these toothpastes, to avoid damaging your tooth enamel.