Whenever you meet someone, your smile is the first thing they notice. Different teeth color are like different skin and hair color but there are also external factors that contributes to darken teeth color over period of time. Teeth whitening or teeth bleaching is becoming popular day by day. By teeth whitening you can transform your smile and feel more confident.
(In office bleaching with light)
There are multiple ways of teeth whitening some of them are:
- In office teeth whitening
- At home bleaching kits
- Laser whitening
- Whitening strips
- Whitening toothpastes
- Whitening pen
(Take home light activating bleaching kit)
In office teeth whitening is safest and fastest way. It takes total 45 minutes to 1 hour which include 3-4 cycles of 15 mins. Some professionals use UV light or argon laser to activate whitening agent and fasten the process for quicker and long lasting results. In office teeth whitening gives you desired results in a single appointment because of higher concentration of bleaching agent. Such higher concentration of bleaching agent is not available in at home bleaching kits because of safety concerns. In office teeth whitening gives you instant results but it requires expertise and skills of dentist to achieve desired results without damaging gums and oral tissues.
It is better and recommended to record initial tooth color by taking photograph before bleaching to monitor progress of treatment and satisfy patient at the end of appointment. Some patients may require multiple visits for desirable cosmetic results. Dentists and health care professionals have access to higher concentration of bleaching agent which provide instant and significant results than over the counter available kits. Another benefit of in office teeth whitening is immediate notice and prompt action in case of allergy or hypersensitivity. Post treatment sensitivity is common, so it is better to avoid extremely cold and hot food immediately after treatment. Dentist may apply desensitizing gel after whitening to prevent sensitivity or recommend sensitivity tooth paste.
Clean the teeth before whitening. It is important to protect gums, lips, cheeks and all soft tissues before applying bleaching agent to prevent sensitivity, allergy and chemical or thermal burn. Dentist then apply whitening gel to remove stains, discoloration and uses special light to intensify and speed up the process. It may require 3-4 cycles depending on initial color of teeth and expected results.
By in office whitening, teeth may tend to get from three to eight shades lighter and brighter. Whitening may fade over period of time and require revisits or at home bleaching to maintain results.
