Teeth whitening is a simple process that lightens your teeth and brightens your smile. You can visit your dentist for a whitening treatment, or purchase one of the many at-home treatment options available. Using a whitening mouthwash or toothpaste, strips, trying whitening pens or trays are all excellent options to complement your good oral hygiene habits. The objective of tooth whitening is to remove stains and discoloration; it also has the potential to improve the overall look of your teeth.
When treatment is required
If you have stained or discolored teeth, then you may require teeth whitening. Some of the reason for stained or yellow teeth includes the following:
- Using tobacco
- Not taking good care of your teeth
- Drinking dark-colored liquids like cola, coffee, red wine and tea.
- At old age, the enamel gets thinner and the dentin becomes darker as a result the teeth becomes less bright.
- Trauma can also cause dark tooth
Procedure
Teeth-whitening is of two main types: Non-vital and Vital whitening procedures. Vital whitening is generally done on teeth with live nerves, while non-vital whitening is performed on a tooth that has no live nerve as a result of previous root-canal treatment. For vital whitening, a gel containing some form of hydrogen peroxide is applied directly to the surface of the tooth. This can either be done at-home or in-office. With in-office whitening, the dentist uses a more powerful whitening gel. A laser light activates the gel and hastens the process. The process takes approximately 90 minutes. Before applying the gel, the dentist applies a substance to protect and cover the gums around the teeth. Once the gel is applied, a laser light is shined on your tooth to activate the whitening agent.
Non-Vital Whitening
Vital whitening may not be effective for stains resulting from a previous root-canal treatment because the stain is from the inside of the tooth. In this case, the dentist will use an alternative procedure that whitens the tooth from the inside. A whitening agent is placed inside the tooth and covered with a temporary filling. This is kept in place until the desired shade is achieved.
Contact us as Blacktown Family dental, for a painless treatment we will help put the shine back in your smile.