What is teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening, also known as teeth bleaching, is a part of cosmetic dentistry that helps in bleaching a person’s teeth to make them lighter in shade. This may not immediately make the patient’s teeth brilliantly white, but instead just tones it down by several shades. It is a form of dentistry that is most popular, offering a quick, catching, and affordable teeth whitening method. This procedure is opted for by both men and women but is ideal for those who have healthy, unrestored teeth and gums. Patients who have a yellow tone to their teeth show better results. However, teeth whitening is not recommended for every age.
Reasons teeth would need whitening
You may need teeth whitening when your teeth start to discolor. Tooth discoloration is when your teeth color begins to change. This can be due to two leading causes:
Extrinsic factors:
This refers to those agents that directly come into contact with your teeth enamel. They are:
Food and drinks: Coffee, tea, red wine, carbonated drinks, and certain fruits and vegetables cause staining to the outer enamel.
Use of tobacco: Tar and nicotine present in tobacco are the two chemicals that stain teeth. Tar is naturally dark, while nicotine is colorless until it contacts oxygen in the air. This then converts to a yellow tooth staining substance.
Poor oral hygiene: Teeth whitening may be needed if brushing and flossing are not done regularly, leading to the accumulation of plaque and teeth staining substances.
Restorative materials: Some dental restorative materials like amalgam fillings, mostly silver sulfide-containing materials, cast a grey-black color over the tooth.
Intrinsic factors:
This refers to something present within the tooth or the body. They are as follows:
Aging: As a person ages, the outer enamel starts to wear off, and the underlying yellow-colored dentin is exposed. This gives the teeth a yellowish hue.
Genetics: This is another key factor that plays a role in the color of the teeth. Some people are born with brighter and thicker enamel.
Trauma: Damage caused to a developing tooth in a child due to some physical injury may disturb enamel formation. It can also cause discoloration in adult teeth.
Excessive fluoride: If fluoride intake exceeds 5ppm, be it from environmental sources (high fluoride levels in water) or excessive use of fluoride-containing toothpaste and gels, it can cause tooth discoloration.
Medications: The antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline, when given to children whose teeth are still developing, can cause discoloration. Antihistamines, antipsychotic drugs, and drugs for high blood pressure also cause teeth discoloration.
Medical conditions: Diseases that can affect enamel and dentin can cause tooth discoloration. Treatment of various diseases can also cause tooth discoloration due to radiographs and chemotherapy.
Procedure for teeth whitening
There are various ways of teeth whitening, from in-office teeth whitening procedures, toothpaste, gels, rinses, and take-home whitening trays provided by the dentist. Thus, there are several ways to say goodbye to yellow teeth and help gain a brighter and healthier smile. They are the following:
In-office whitening procedure
The steps followed during this procedure are not painful, nor are they uncomfortable. The patient is relaxed throughout the treatment and may even doze off. The steps included are:
First, a cheek retractor is used to expose all the anterior teeth, usually seen when a person smiles. A liquid rubber dam or a hardened resin is painted over the gum so that the soft tissue is not irritated by the bleaching agent. Then a bleaching agent mainly containing hydrogen peroxide is used. This is applied to the anterior teeth and left for about 15 to 30 minutes. In some of the whitening procedures, intense light can accelerate or speed up the bleaching process. Between each gel application, the teeth are checked for how well they have whitened or whether more bleaching agent is to be applied. After the final gel application is done, the cheek retractors are removed, and the patient rinses. If a satisfactory level of whitening has not been achieved, your dentist may recommend follow-ups at a later date which may vary from person to person.
Take-home whitening trays
Whitening trays are not something everyone can do. For this, custom-made trays are manufactured to ensure the whitening solution is appropriately distributed. If this is not done, most of the solution would be wasted. The steps are as follows:
First, an impression is taken of both the upper and lower arch by using mainly alginate or putty material. This is then sent to the laboratories to make the custom trays. This process may take up to one or two weeks to complete. In the meantime, the original shade of the patient’s teeth is recorded on the dental chart for comparison with the teeth when whitening is completed. When the trays are ready, an appointment is made to show how to properly dispense and apply the whitening solution. The dentist provides other instructions needed to obtain better results. Before application, the patient must brush, floss and rinse. The procedure is performed an hour per day for two weeks. Some brands can also be worn overnight. You would need to avoid eating, drinking, or smoking while wearing the trays and continue to do the same for 30 minutes after. After two weeks, a follow-up appointment is made to check the progress and compare it with the reference shade. The additional teeth whitening solution can be used for follow-ups.
To sum up
Teeth whitening is a form of dentistry that helps brighten teeth. This helps gain a brighter smile. The dentist provides in-office and take-home whitening trays. For maintaining your teeth after this procedure, it is advised to follow the basic steps of brushing and flossing. Teeth whitening is not a permanent fix, so follow-up appointments are made for about two or three weeks.
