BEAMING SMILE
What is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening makes your teeth brighter and whiter, giving you an appealing smile. Teeth whitening is a simple, painless, safe, quick and effective procedure.
Through a teeth whitening procedure, the dentist lightens your teeth and helps to remove stains and discolouration. Whitening is among the most popular cosmetic dental procedures because it can greatly improve how your teeth look.
However, whitening is not a one-time procedure. You will need to repeat it from time to time if you want to maintain a brighter colour.
We can give you a whiter, more youthful and more beautiful smile by using the latest whitening methods.
What It's Used For?
The outer layer of a tooth is called the enamel. The reflection and scattering of light off of the enamel, combined with the color of the dentin under it create the natural color of teeth.
Moreover, your genes affect the thickness and smoothness of the enamel. Firstly, thinner enamel allows more of the color of the dentin to show through. Secondly, having smoother or rougher enamel also affects the reflection of light and therefore the color.
Every day, a thin coating (pellicle) forms on the enamel and picks up stains. Also, tooth enamel contains pores that can hold stains.
The most common reasons for yellow or stained teeth are:
- Using tobacco
- Drinking dark-colored liquids such as coffee, cola, tea and red wine
- Not taking good care of your teeth
However, ageing also makes teeth less bright as the enamel gets thinner and the dentin turns darker. And even trauma can darken a tooth.
It is also possible to have stains inside the tooth. These are called intrinsic stains. They can stain a child's teeth if taken by a mother during the second half of pregnancy or by a child who is 8 years old or younger. Teeth are still developing during these years.
How It's Done
The most common type of tooth whitening uses a gel that the dentist applies directly to the tooth surface.
You can choose whether you want your tooth whitening to take place in the dentist's office or at home.
In-office whitening allows your dentist to use a more powerful whitening gel. A specialised light or laser activates the gel and bleaches the teeth faster.
In-office whitening usually takes 30 to 90 minutes. It requires 1 to 3 appointments. This depends on the method used, how severe your stains are and how white you want your teeth to be. Different types of stains respond differently to the treatment.
For in-home whitening, your dentist will take impressions of your upper and lower teeth and make custom mouthpieces to fit you. First, at home, you will fill each mouthpiece with a whitening gel your dentist provides. Then, you will have to wear the mouthpiece for several hours every day. Many people achieve the amount of whitening they want within a week.
