What You Should Know About Teeth Bleaching

By Marla Mills


Teeth can get discolored as we age due to various factors like diet and lifestyle choices, level or oral hygiene and taking certain medicines. You can deal with the problem of having stained teeth by choosing to have them professionally bleached. Teeth bleaching procedures are usually performed by dentists who utilize oxidizing agents like carbamide peroxide for bleaching purposes.

Dentists can also perform tooth whitening by placing a special gel into a tray and attaching the tray to teeth for a certain time period. After that, the tray is removed and a special light together with a special whitening agent are utilized in order to activate the chemical reaction. Stain deposits are oxidized after the whitening agent reacts with tooth enamel.

The tooth whitening procedure becomes effective after the bleaching agent sinks into the dentine layer. After it is complete, it eliminates all signs of discoloration. This procedure can be performed in two ways. In the first method, a dentist applies a layer of oxidizing agent to the dentine layer and then flushes it away after a certain period.

Generally, dentists utilize a 35 percent hydrogen peroxide equivalent to bleach teeth. This whitening method is effective and fast but it involves some risks. The main risk is that it is possible for the whitening agent to damage soft tissues in the mouth. However, since the dentist will supervise the procedure, you should not worry much that you will suffer soft tissue damage because this may not happen.

Dentists also perform tooth whitening by placing the bleaching agent in a thin strip and attaching it on teeth. This strip is not removed in the same sitting. Dentists let patients retain it for a period of a few hours or days. This method takes a while to work but it is safe. The risk of tissue damage taking place is minimal.

Certain stains such as those caused by the long term use of antibiotics such as tetracycline may take time to respond to whitening procedures. In such a case, a dentist will recommend that you undergo a number of whitening procedures to allow the bleach to get into the dentine layer. Newly introduced tooth bleaching procedures utilize light to enhance the whitening effect of bleach.

Even though tooth whitening procedures are effective in getting rid of discoloration, the results achieved vary from one individual to the other. Most people report that they suffer from tooth sensitivity immediately after procedure. To reduce sensitivity, dentists advise patients not to take very hot or very cold drinks after undergoing the procedure. Dentists may also offer fluoride treatments to their patients to mitigate the effects of the procedure.

Your dental insurance policy may not cover for expenses associated with teeth bleaching. If you feel that it is too costly to use the services of a dentist for this procedure, you can purchase a tooth whitening kit from your local drug store. Tooth whitening kits are effective but you may not see the results immediately. You should therefore be patient as you use them.




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