New dental techniques are now available to not only give you pearly whites but a bright smile as well. Through teeth bleaching, you can have sparkling teeth. It can rid your teeth of stains from smoking, caffeine or aging. The results can last up to five years. But could be shorter for smokers and coffee addicts.
Is tooth-whitening right for me?
Generally, tooth-whitening is for everyone. The success rate of teeth bleaching is very high with atleast 90%. While it is effective in removing stains, it is gentle on your teeth. How white it can make your teeth however is dependent on factors that caused the discoloration of your teeth like smoking, fluorosis (a condition resulting from too much fluoride in the teeth) or medication like tetracycline.The whitening effect only works on natural teeth. It will not whiten fillings or artificial crowns.
Tooth whitening though is not advisable to those who have dental problems like sensitive teeth or gum disease. Pregnant women or breastfeeding moms are also discouraged to undergo this treatment.
Teeth Bleaching Methods
There are some teeth bleaching methods that are done only in a dental office like laser bleaching and other in-office teeth bleaching treatment. If you want to have white teeth without having to spend a lot, there are also bleaching methods you can do at home. But it should still be supervised by your dentist to make sure it’s safe and you’re doing it right. But the treatment can take effect after a longer time. Some teeth bleaching treatment are done while you sleep. The duration of treatment can vary from 10 – 14 nights. Other bleaching procedure or regimen takes 2 – 4 hours a day for three to six weeks.
The kind of treatment you should undergo could also be dependent on what caused the stain. Some treatment work better on a particular stain than others. Your dentist can supervise you on this matter.
Teeth-Bleaching Procedure
- Your dentist will thoroughly evaluate your teeth and make recommendations on the best teeth- bleaching procedure. If he or she sees signs of dental or gum problems, they will tell you treat it first before they could proceed with the teeth bleaching treatment.
- For in-office procedures, it takes 1 – 3 hours and results can be seen after that.
- For the at-home method, customized molds of your teeth are prepared. They will keep the whitening gel in your teeth.
- Your dentist will hand you the molds and give you instructions on how to go about the procedure. Follow your dentist’s instructions so you can achieve desired results.
- When the course of your treatment is don, your dentist will check on them.
- Now you have white, shiny teeth.
Safety
The American Dental Association has given their seal of approval to a lot of tooth whitening products. For the past five years, teeth bleaching has been proven to be safe and effective. After treatment, your teeth may feel sensitive to hot or cold food but it should go away after 48 hours.