As many are the patients so many are the wishes and cases. One thing is sure – anyone standing for some reason in the dentist’s office would like to get out with the confidence which a healthy and beautiful smile gives. No matter what correction we have on our teeth, at the end we always get to the point of whitening them. There are several options, but the laws on performance are very strict.
HOME TOOTH WHITENING FROM YESTERDAY TO TODAY
Years ago, the so-called home whitening required wearing braces at home for several hours, or even an overnight, to achieve a whitening effect. However, often that resulted in hypersensitivity in teeth lasting a whole week. And before you reject this method, it is useful to know that today home whitening lasts no longer than 1 hour per day. Thus, the risk of increased sensitivity is considerably reduced.
In the recent past, the recommended period of standard whitening was 14 days. But, the effect was not so impressive. For this reason, today the recommended period is about 21 days (or 3 weeks).
There is also a change in the concentration of the whitening agent (carbamide peroxide). At first it was believed that higher concentrations were better. Some systems contained even up to 20% agent. Today, however, it is assumed that the maximum recommended concentration is 10% which plays a significant role in reducing the risk of hypersensitivity.
Moreover, the recommended concentration of whitening agent for overnight whitening is 6-7,5 % because of the longer period of staying in the mouth.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF IN-OFFICE WHITENING WITH A LAMP
Whitening in the dentist office, or the so-called in-office whitening, have used for many years now specialized lamps designed to accelerate the process of whitening.The duration of the procedures has also changed considerably- from 2 stages of 15 min to 2-4 stages of 10 min. The goal again is one – to reduce the risk of hypersensitivity during and after whitening. Furthermore, to preserve longer the whitened colour, today it is recommended to make the so-called stabilization after completion of the procedures (with an average duration of about 90 min, with the preparations and breaks between sessions). For that purpose, braces are made similar to those for home whitening, and the patient continues applying whitening gel 2-4 days more at home. Skipping this step would result in quicker discoloration of teeth.
DO NOT FORGET…
When whitening live teeth it is important to make the so-called remineralization- a process accelerating the recovery of the enamel.
Removal of tartar and plaque should be done at least 2 weeks before the whitening. This will minimize the possibility of teeth hypersensitivity.
Whatever method of whitening you choose– at home or at dentist’s office, do not forget the most important thing which is that you are already on the way to achieving the goal – a wide and sparkling smile.
More smiles…
Dr Rosen Venelinov
Published in My Smile Magazine issue 2/2009
