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Tooth whitening is one of the most requested dental procedures done every year, with Americans spending nearly $2 billion annually to keep their smiles looking bright.
Over time, drinking coffee, red wine, smoking cigarettes, and simply ageing can stain our teeth, as can certain medications such as tetracycline.
Tooth “whitening” is defined as any process that will make teeth appear whiter. There are two ways this is commonly done: bleaching and non-bleaching whitening products. Often the terms “bleaching” and “whitening” are used interchangeably, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states the term “bleaching” can only be used when a product contains bleach. A product is considered simply “whitening” when it removes food or debris from the teeth without bleach.
Bleaching products contain peroxide (hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) and these products remove both surface and deep stains on teeth and can cause teeth to become even lighter than their natural shade.
The two main products used for teeth whitening are hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. Unlike a whitening toothpaste that uses an abrasive ingredient to mechanically remove surface-level stains, the oxygen molecules within these whitening agents weaken your tooth stains on a molecular level.
Many over-the-counter (OTC) whitening strips, kits and pens also use a form of peroxide. The difference between these and professional teeth whitening is the chemical concentration.
In-Office Whitening
In-office professional whitening treatments are typically completed in several short appointments but will depend on your unique needs. A whitening agent is left on for 15- to 30-minute increments, and the entire appointment should take no longer than an hour and a half.
There are a few types of in-office whitening treatments:
Take-Home Trays
While in-office whitening is fast, custom take-home trays require some diligence on the part of the patient. They may be your only treatment or follow-up treatment to in-office whitening if your dentist believes your smile is prone to getting new stains again soon.
With a professional take-home tray, your dentist will make an impression of your teeth for a custom-fabricated tray. Because this tray will fit perfectly to the shape of your mouth, it will typically give you more comprehensive whitening results than OTC trays. Instead of a hydrogen peroxide-based gel, you’ll most likely get a carbamide peroxide-based gel to place in the tray and use at home. Even though it doesn’t whiten as quickly as a hydrogen peroxide-based gel, you’re less likely to experience sensitivity if you accidentally get it on your gums, cheek or tongue.
Myth 1
Teeth Whitening is too expensive
Myth 2
Teeth whitening will make my teeth too sensitive
Myth 3
Teeth whitening can work for anyone
Myth 4
I just need to do teeth whitening once
Myth 5
You must have the treatment in a dentist’s office to get good results.
Tooth whitening is safe for most people and the best candidates are those who only have mild to moderate discoloration. But there are certain types of discoloration that cannot be corrected by whitening treatments, and there are certain dental or medical conditions that may reduce the chances tooth whitening will work for you. These include:
Our dentists continually attend further education and stay on top of current research to bring the best evidence based treatments and the latest techniques.
We use the latest treatment techniques, procedures & dental materials that enable us to deliver a wide range of options to suit your needs.
Also, we use a wide variety of cosmetic dentistry options and treatments to transform your regular smile into a million-dollar one. We offer all your treatments in the same place, whichever specialist you may need to see, you will find them available here.
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