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Whitening
Q:
What is whitening?
A: Whitening (sometimes called "bleaching") is a common
and popular chemical process used to reveal the natural whiteness
of teeth. Our professional whitening treatments include the accelerated
in-office whitening (Brite Smile) and take-home trays.
Q:
How does it work?
A: The active ingredient in most of the whitening agents is
10-15% carbamide peroxide. The release of the peroxide during
reaction with your saliva lightens your teeth.
Q: How is whitening performed?
A: Whitening can be performed by your dentist in the office or, under
dental supervision, at home. In-office or power whitening can
be done in a 1½ hour visit to our office using a light activated gel.
Many patients prefer the in-office treatment because the results are
visible in one visit. Typically, at-home or tray whitening takes
two or three weeks, depending on the desired shade you wish to achieve.
Treatment in our office begins when we create a custom mouthpiece to
ensure the correct amount of whitening solution (composed of carbamide
peroxide) is used and that your teeth are properly exposed.
Q:
Is it safe? Are there side effects?
A: A number of different studies have been performed over the
years showing this method of whitening to be safe and effective. The
American Dental Association has granted its seal of approval to a number
of teeth whitening products. Some patients may experience slight
gum irritation or tooth sensitivity, which will resolve when the treatment
ends.
Q: Why do teeth discolor?
A: Discoloration occurs in the enamel and can be caused by medication,
cola, red wine, coffee, tea and cigarettes. Discoloration also
can be caused by your genetic make-up or age. Several factors can contribute
to the darkening of teeth, including the effects of age, foods and drinks,
smoking and some medications. Darkened teeth caused by oral supplements
or medications pose more of a challenge. The whitening process
involves placing a whitening solution in contact with the teeth, causing
oxidation of stains and subsequent lightening.
Q: How long does whitening last?
A: Like skin tone, each person is different. In addition
to genetics, it depends on how many cups of coffee, glasses of cola,
red wine and other staining drinks and food you have cross your teeth.
Many people can go from one to three years without significant
need for touch-ups in whitening. The ultimate whitening is through
porcelain veneers, which can last much longer.
Q: What if I have tetracycline stained teeth?
A: The difficulty presented by staining resulting from tetracycline
use is that it is not uniform, but usually presents as horizontal light
and dark bands. For such teeth, the banding effect will remain
after whitening, albeit in a lighter shade. The only practical
way of eliminating the staining you describe is by covering it up.
This can be done by the placement of crowns, or more conservatively
by placing porcelain veneers.
Q: Can my existing porcelain veneers or crowns be bleached?
A: No, unfortunately porcelain does not change color when exposed
to dental whitening gel.
Q: Do over-the-counter whitening products work?
A: Frequently, dentists hear from people who have not gotten the
results they wanted through over-the-counter whiteners. In fact,
I have never seen a client who has gotten good results this way. These
types of products are most effective as touch-up measures after receiving
a professional whitening treatment.
Q: What is laser whitening.
A: Lasers are used to activate a high strength whitening gel that
is placed on your teeth. Laser whitening is a procedure that is
becoming less popular and is being replaced by light-activated in-office
whitening systems. Cost is a major factor for this treatment.
Laser whitening cost from $1,200 to $2,000 compared to power whitening
which costs $600-700.
Q: How will my teeth respond to the whitening treatment?
A:
A smile darkened with the color of yellow, brown or orange responds
better to whitening than brown or white spots caused by fluorosis, smoking
or tetracycline (grayed teeth). If you have very sensitive teeth
or teeth with worn enamel, we can use whitening materials that are designed
specifically for sensitive teeth.
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