Teeth Whitening (Dental Bleaching)

You look great! Your outfit is nice and your hair is wonderful!- Why are your teeth so yellow?

Wouldn't it be awful to hear that from someone? One of the first things noticed when you meet someone is your smile. Who wouldn't want to be complimented about their bright white smile?

Where else, other than the USA is teeth whitening sufficiently in demand? Movie stars can't even smile with stained teeth on screen! For a long time the only solution for white teeth were to grind the teeth and put on porcelain crowns. Now many other methods can be used to whiten teeth for great results without hurting the structure of the tooth. Before teeth whitening, scaling and polishing should be performed. In order for the whitening products to produce a better effect old amalgam fillings should be changed to tooth colored esthetic fillings. Before teeth whitening, the teeth should be in a healthy condition.

Teeth whitening is not only for esthetic purposes. Iatrogenic effects such as root canal treatment or different types of injuries can result in a discolored tooth.

Olykor nem pusztán esztétikai okok teszik szükségessé a fogfehérítés elvégzését. Orvosilag indokolt esetek pl. a gyökérkezelt fogak, ha azok elszíneződtek, vagy a különféle sérülések következtében elszíneződött fogak is.

Modern whitening products (usually in the form of a gel) contain oxidizing agents which whiten the teeth. They do not cause harm to the tooth structure(ex. enamel) with results lasting from 2-3 years. Although whitening can not always acquire the original color of the tooth, stains from coffee, smoking, food, etc. can be removed.

Attention! Non professional procedures and clinically unproven teeth whitening products can often lead to unsatisfactory results. For optimal results turn to a dental professional!

Two main methods of teeth whitening- At-home and In-office

Many different in-office methods can be used, not only whitening gel+light acceleration can be used but internal bleaching for a root canal treated tooth, or laser bleaching.

In-Office bleaching

• Safe, simple, fast, affordable for anyone..
• An average of 7-12 shade changes within 45-60 minutes
• Application of the gel and then exposure to a light source. A single visit is needed with the whole treatment taking only 3X15 minutes.

Internal bleaching:

• The patient is examined by the dentist thoroughly. Any carious tooth will be treated and any deposits on the teeth will be removed before teeth whitening.
• The color of the teeth is determined by a dental color key
• The soft tissue is covered with a light -cured rubber dam.
• The clean and dry teeth surfaces are covered by the whitening gel, which will not harm the tooth structure nor enamel.
• The teeth are exposed to a special light-ZOOM 2 for 15 minutes then the gel is wiped off, the procedure is repeated 2 more times. The treatment is completed within 45-60 minutes.

The new color of the teeth is determined. With this process we can determine the effectiveness of the whitening procedure, which may vary from 7-12 shades. During the next 2-3 days after the treatment coffee, tea, smoking and colored drinks and foods should be avoided. The results can be maintained for years if the patient takes good care of his/her oral hygiene with an appropriate diet, and a healthy lifestyle.

At-home bleaching

• At-home bleaching takes around 10-14 days, and if needed a break can be taken.
• A custom flexible tray is made in the dental laboratory for the patient.
• The whitening gel is placed in this tray and the tray is fitted to the patient's teeth.
• At-home bleaching can be used after in-office treatments as well.
• The custom trays can be used during the day or night, whichever is comfortable for the patient.

At home bleaching l should be performed under the supervision of a dentist. The advantage of using a custom tray is that the molars are whitened as well. The treatment is slower which takes a longer time to see results. This maybe a drawback for those who would like an immediate result.

Internal bleaching

Internal bleaching is performed on root canal treated teeth. Discoloration of the tooth can occur due to internal staining of the tooth structure by blood and other fluids during root canal treatment. Sometimes the root filling material itself can cause discoloration of the tooth, if the filling wasn't placed properly. Internal bleaching can help whiten the teeth without the need for a crown.

Internal bleaching procedure:

• Removal of the esthetic filling
• the coronal part of the tooth is cleaned and any unnecessary material removed
• the root canal is closed with cement to prevent the whitening gel from penetrating further into the root canal.
• In the space that is left, whitening gel is inserted and sealed with a temporary filling for 4-5 days.
• the procedure is repeated 2-3 times until the desired color is acquired,then an esthetic filling is placed.

Internal bleaching can deliver esthetic results without the need of a porcelain crown.