Teeth Whitening

You have two options to get your teeth bleached. You may either go for over the counter teeth bleaching products such as gels and toothpaste, also called at-home bleaching, or you may go to dentists’ to get professional dental bleaching called in-office dental bleaching. However, the efficacy of bleaching products available in the market, in general, is very low when compared to a professional bleaching procedure and also, the effect fades out very fast meaning you will need more frequent bleaching with over the counter bleaching products. Bleaching products available at pharmacies may, in fact, harm your teeth by abrading the outer surface of your teeth and making them extremely sensitive in the long run.

Professional dental bleaching will give you more intense results,i.e., your teeth will look whiter as compared to at-home products. Secondly, the professional bleaching

will give you quicker results meaning the results will be apparent from the very first appointment. Thirdly, the effects of a professional bleaching procedure are longer lasting than that of at-home products.

Discolored teeth since birth indicate consumption of an antibiotic called tetracycline by the pregnant mother. This tetracycline gets incorporated in the fetal teeth,thus staining them. Tetracycline stains cannot be removed by even professional dental bleaching. So, consult your dentist first to know the exact cause of the discoloration of your teeth.

Sometimes, excessive consumption of a chemical called fluoride during infancy can cause brown stains on teeth. These stains will not be affected by adental bleaching procedure. So, book an appointment with your dentist to discuss whitening alternatives to fluoride stained teeth.

Your dentist will use a paste made from strong bleaching agents such as hydrogen peroxide and carbamides. This paste is applied to the tooth surface,and then a high energy light of a specific wavelength is used to activate the chemicals. A single sitting may take 30-60 minutes,and the number of sittingsdepends on how white you want your teeth.

In-office bleaching shows apparent results from the first sitting itself,and the result will be 3-8 shades whiter teeth.

Your dentist can prescribe you a dental bleaching kit which may be used at home for bleaching your teeth at your convenient time. For this, an impression of your teeth will be made by your dentist,and custom trays will be fabricated in a dental lab. You will be provided with the bleaching paste which is filled in these trays and kept in the mouth for a certain period.

In general, there are no side effects of in-office bleaching,but if you use the bleaching kit provided by your dentist excessively, you may experience extreme tooth sensitivity. So, always follow the instructions of your dentist closely and to the word.
On the other hand, at-home bleaching will abrade your teeth on prolonged use and will also make your tooth sensitive. Prolonged use will only make your teeth more yellow as the outer white layer of enamel is abraded away,and the inner yellow dentin becomes more visible,thus giving your teeth a yellowish appearance.

The intensity of the discoloration will determine the cost of the treatment. More discoloration will mean more sittings and thus more cost. In general, a dental bleaching procedure will cost …………………………………however, it is worth it when you compare the time taken by over the counter bleaching agents to show the effect as well as the duration of the effect.