Dental bleaching is a cosmetic dentistry treatment that lightens the color of teeth by one or more tones, and eliminates stains to improve the aesthetics of your smile. Today, there are many options for whitening your smile, whether at the dentist or at home. Find out how the treatment works and why it’s important to seek help from an experienced professional before you begin.
What is tooth whitening?
Dental bleaching is a dental treatment related to the aesthetic part of this specialty. Thanks to this treatment, it is possible to lighten the shade of the teeth and eliminate stains in order to improve the aesthetics of your smile.
Each patient is unique, as is each dentition. Therefore, the results obtained after tooth whitening differ from person to person. It is important that patients have a realistic goal before benefiting from this treatment. Although the vast majority achieve a visibly whiter and brighter smile, achieving a perfectly white shade is not always possible. This indeed depends on the natural color of the enamel.
a dentist performs tooth whitening with LED light on her patient
Yellow teeth: the causes
Before understanding how teeth whitening works, it is important to know the causes that make teeth yellow. Natural or acquired, distinguishing them will teach you how to maintain your white teeth longer after treatment. Before revealing what to do to whiten yellow teeth, here are some of the reasons why teeth turn yellow:
The natural color of the teeth.
Age. Over the years, teeth tend to yellow and darken due to wear and the accumulation of encrusted stains. Over time, it is therefore increasingly difficult to whiten them, even if it is not impossible.
translucency. The thicker and more opaque the teeth, the whiter they will tend to be.
Eating habits. Tea, coffee, wine and other colored foods gradually stain the teeth which, over time, take on a yellowish or gray color. In addition, acidic foods directly attack the enamel, making the surface of the tooth thinner. This accentuates even more the coloring of the teeth.
The tobacco. The cigarette is the number 1 enemy of your health but also of your teeth. Nicotine gradually stains the teeth and discolors them.
Trauma: a tooth that has received a blow can be darker than the others.
How is tooth whitening performed?
You do not know how a dental whitening treatment takes place? We explain everything to you.
Whitening is achieved through the application to the tooth of a gel based on hydrogen peroxide, that is to say hydrogen peroxide. The latter is nevertheless different from that present in supermarkets; or carbamide peroxide, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. Whatever its form, during tooth whitening, hydrogen peroxide acts on the tooth by opening the pores of the enamel and then penetrating the internal layers, in order to whiten the teeth from the inside.
It is important to remember that this treatment should always be carried out under the supervision of an experienced healthcare professional. In particular, he will analyze your teeth to find out if you are suitable for teeth whitening.
Types of teeth whitening
There are different methods to whiten teeth. However, not all methods are equally effective. Discover all the types of teeth whitening to find the one that suits you best.
Teeth whitening at the dentist
The first type of dental whitening is that performed in the clinic by the dentist. The method then used to whiten teeth is to apply a hydrogen peroxide gel to the tooth. The latter has a strong whitening potential. It is then possible to perform tooth whitening with or without laser or LED light. When the LED lamp is used to whiten the teeth, it activates the whitening gel, which releases the peroxide particles (whitening agents). In the case of dental whitening at the dentist, in the clinic, the results are immediate.
Home teeth whitening with trays and professional supervision
The second method is teeth whitening at home. In this case, the treatment will be carried out with a pair of gutters which will be given to you by the dentist during your visit to the dental office. Teeth whitening trays are filled with carbamide peroxide. They should be left on for as long as your dentist recommends, depending on the concentration of carbamide peroxide in the product. Teeth whitening trays are used at home and it is necessary to wear them with the product for a few weeks so that the teeth gradually whiten.
application of a whitening product using a syringe in dental whitening trays
Combined teeth whitening treatment, as the name suggests, combines treatment at home and treatment at the dentist. This type of treatment is indicated for an even more effective and lasting result and is indicated for an even more effective and lasting result, since it allows you to alternate between laser teeth whitening and gutters. It is advisable to alternate laser teeth whitening at your home and dental whitening trays. Your dentist will advise you on how to proceed and on the number of sessions to achieve to obtain a radiant smile.
Whitening of a devitalized tooth or internal whitening
Bleaching a devitalized tooth (tooth from which the nerve has been removed), also called internal bleaching, is recommended when the tooth has darkened. Unlike other methods of whitening teeth, this one is done internally and only on the tooth to be whitened.
Scaling and teeth whitening: why important?
Before any dental whitening procedure, it is advisable to undergo a professional dental hygiene . Scaling is a very important step before bleaching because tartar buildup is one of the factors that influence tooth staining. It must therefore be done before bleaching to obtain better results.
