Teeth Whitening

What could be more charming than a beautiful, white, bright smile? It is without question that a bright smile immediately wins the impressions, shows confidence and health and gives positive energy and good mood to both the one who has it and those around him.

Every year, the percentage of people who are interested in everything that involves the improvement of the smile and the image in general is increasing at a rapid pace. More and more patients are looking for cosmetic dentistry solutions such as teeth whitening.

What is teeth whitening?

It is the treatment that provides improvement to the teeth through the change in their color. It has immediate visible results as it gives a brighter shade to the teeth, which makes them immediately look whiter and shinier. Most of the time it is the first step in aesthetic dental treatment.

Teeth whitening is a procedure that treats tooth discoloration and should only be done by qualified dentists.

Bleaching products of various companies that are available in the trade or on the internet in various forms are ineffective or even dangerous. In other words, they contain substances that pose a risk to oral health but also substances that have not been tested by long-term research and can damage the enamel of our teeth.

The bleaching process is the only method that can give a real and long-term result. There are many whitening medicines or home remedies available on the internet, such as baking soda or lemon or activated charcoal. We must emphasize that apart from bleaching, no other home practice has any effect or duration.

Also, although dental cleaning is a prerequisite for a proper teeth whitening, it alone is not able to intervene in the colour of the teeth, improving it. It can only clean the teeth from tartar and local surface stains, which in part improves the appearance of the teeth, but the colour remains the same.

It is worth emphasizing that an initial clinical examination of the patient should always be performed by the dentist because specific treatments may need to be performed before whitening or it may be a contraindication to whitening (e.g. patients with periodontitis or patients with multiple prostheses). which can not change colour with bleaching).

Bleaching methods

The first method is the whitening of a doctor's office performed in the doctor's office with laser or special whitening lamps within an hour. Here the whitening substance is placed on the teeth after the protection of the gums with a special paste. The whitening material releases active oxygen, which penetrates inside the tooth and oxidizes the organic substances of the internal pigments.

The second method is the whitening at home with preparations that the dentist will supply to the patient and that lasts about 1 month. These whitening preparations have a milder action and the duration of the effect is longer. Here it is possible to apply at home special personalized braces (dentures) made by the dentist for the patient where the patient will use some hours (6 to 8 hours depending on the material) in the mouth and will gradually whiten the teeth. The fact that this method requires a longer period of time is a depressing factor many times for patients, especially for people who want to complete the treatment soon because e.g. their wedding also takes place on some days.

The most effective method, however, is a combination of these two methods. It combines the advantages of both methods more predictably and it is good to apply where possible.

Generally, whitening should be preceded by a check and a good cleaning of the teeth from stone, plaque so that the materials can penetrate the teeth. Finally, the patient's original colour is recorded and photographs are taken.

How long does the bleaching effect last?

The effects of bleaching are an issue that cannot be completely answered because it varies from person to person depending on their eating and other daily habits (e.g. smoking). The colour of the teeth before whitening also plays a role. Very dark and yellow teeth that have whitened at least 3 levels of tonality / brightness almost never return to their original colour no matter how many years pass. Teeth that made little difference usually go back to about 3 years.

However, if you need to repeat the whole procedure, it is important to emphasize that it is completely safe to re-treat so that the colour of the teeth is renewed with the repetition. It is a painless procedure that in an experienced dentist is a completely safe treatment.

A check-up every 6 months at the dentist and good oral hygiene are inextricably linked to the result and can help to better maintain the result.

Complications with bleaching

Whitening factors have been used for many years and are completely safe materials for our teeth. There are, after all, long-term research (over 10 years) that document it.

However, some patients may experience tooth sensitivity during teeth whitening or in the first few days. However, it is transient and disappears after the bleaching is completed or after a few days.

If there is already sensitivity, the patient should inform the dentist in order to offer him appropriate treatment before the whitening is performed or to modify the treatment according to the case. Bleaching is not recommended for pregnant women as it has not been clarified whether or not bleaching substances can harm the fetus.

What are the causes of discoloration and discoloration of the teeth?

In addition to the natural color of teeth determined by genetic factors, the main causes of tooth loss are smoking, coffee, and the deposition of food coloring on foods such as red wine, cola-type soft drinks, tea with caffeine and / or pigments, beetroot, cherries, blueberries, pomegranate, curry, soy sauce, various confectionery and confectionery.

In general, we could say that foods or drinks that cause difficult stains if they fall on our clothes are the most dangerous to create a problem in the color of the teeth.

In addition to diet, poor oral hygiene plays a key role but also the passage of time that makes our teeth less bright, as the enamel becomes thinner allowing the darker tooth below to look more.

Sometimes tooth staining can be due to the intake of large amounts of fluoride in the tooth formation stage in childhood or the heavy use of tetracycline antibiotics by children under 8 years of age (period of tooth formation). Teeth whitening is more difficult in such cases and takes much longer.

Even long-term use of various medications can affect tooth colour (such as taking multivitamins or iron supplements). Other drugs that cause discoloration are certain antihistamines, antipsychotics, and antihypertensives, as well as iodine-containing preparations.

Antimicrobial chlorhexidine-containing mouthwashes cause similar discoloration of the teeth if used for more than 15 days.

Do denervated teeth whiten?

Discoloration can also be observed on denervated teeth so whitening can also be done on them to improve their colour but with a different technique.

The staining of denervated teeth is internal and that is why the dentist uses a technique that whitens the tooth from the inside. In essence, we place the whitening substance inside the denervated tooth and cover it with a temporary filling.

Your tooth will stay with the bleach inside for a few days.

The procedure may need to be repeated until we achieve the colour we want in the denervated tooth.

Good psychology, improves appearance

Your smile is the mirror of your soul. This means that if you have a good psychology and high mood, this will be reflected in your smile, which in turn will make you look more beautiful. Make this gift to yourself and never stop smiling!