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- Teeth Whitening
- August 25, 2023
- by lotus
If you are unhappy with the colour of your teeth or the brightness of your smile, professional teeth whitening can improve your self confidence. But how does teeth whitening work and why is a professional whitening treatment more effective than a store-bought whitening kit? We answer these questions and more.
Why Do Teeth Become Discoloured?
Tooth discolouration is a natural consequence of ageing. We all start out with white teeth and they gradually change colour as we expose them to different substances that cause staining and discolouration. When we are first born we all begin life with white dentin but this dentin changes colour and turns yellow. Dentin is underneath your dental enamel so this discolouration is considered intrinsic staining.
A lifetime of drinking red wine, coffee and different sodas as well as smoking and using tobacco products also has an effect on the colour of your teeth. This causes stains to develop on the outside of our teeth and is considered extrinsic staining. Sometimes professional cleaning and polishing can remove some of the stains but ultimately only professional whitening treatments are strong enough to remove intrinsic stains and bleach the colour of your teeth.
What Is The Difference Between Over-the-counter And Professional Teeth Whitening?
Very often over-the-counter whitening products contain abrasive substances that may actually damage your tooth enamel. They may contain baking soda grains, charcoal or acidic substances that do more harm than good – or they simply may not be strong enough to penetrate your tooth enamel to lift intrinsic stains from inside your teeth. It’s important to note that only dental professionals are allowed to administer teeth whitening products containing more than 6% hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. And, if you want to do effective teeth whitening, you need products that contain a high concentration of bleaching agent.
How Does The Teeth Whitening Process Work?
A professional whitening treatment can be done in two ways: by your dentist in the chair, or at home using customised dental trays. In both scenarios you need your dentist to approve the procedure by carrying out a thorough consultation and dental cleaning. Your dentist must check that your teeth are free of cavities and that you do not have gum disease. It’s also necessary to have a dental clean and polish so that your teeth are free of plaque and tartar, to give your dental professional a clean canvas to whiten on.
You will have a consultation and discuss your whitening needs – and your dentist will advise you in terms of what is practically possible.
Some whitening brands like Philips Zoom and pola can whiten teeth by six to eight shades in one session, but this may not always be possible in individual circumstances. If you have a special event such as a wedding or celebration that you want to achieve your whitening goals by, your dentist will be able to advise you accordingly.
How Does Teeth Whitening Work In-chair?
When your dentist does your whitening treatment you can have a much higher concentration of bleaching agent applied to your teeth than if you are using whitening trays. During an in-chair treatment, your dentist is in full control of the process and is available to intervene in the (unlikely) event that something does go wrong. Your dentist is also in a position to give individually stained teeth more attention, which is not possible when you use trays at home.
First your dentist will ensure your soft tissues are protected before painting on a thin layer of bleaching agent. Depending on the brand of whitening treatment being used your dentist may or may not shine a blue light or laser onto your teeth to activate the whitening agent. The bleaching agent will be left on for ten to 15 minutes before being wiped off. If necessary this process can be repeated two or three times.
How Does Take-home Teeth Whitening Work?
After your pre-whitening consultation your dentist will supply you with customised trays for your teeth. You will be given a bleaching agent, a drop of which you will dispense into each compartment of the trays. You must wear the trays for the recommended period of time every day or night – usually a couple of hours at a time. Remember not to exceed the wear time or use them more frequently than instructed as you could cause irreparable damage to your tooth enamel. Be sure to follow your dentist’s instructions very closely.
Do you want to know more about how does teeth whitening work? It’s best to get the answers from a professional. Please contact us for an appointment: (03) 8737 9359.