White Teeth

Teeth whitening, also known as tooth bleaching, is a common service performed in general dentistry, especially cosmetic dentistry. Many people feel that it's necessary to have white teeth as part of a beautiful smile and are happy to pay a dentist to undergo this procedure. Over the years as people age, the white teeth they had as children will often become darker, due to changes in the mineral structure of the tooth. Tobacco use, diet and certain prescription medication can stain the teeth which will also darken thier color.

There are two main methods used for teeth whitening. The first method produces very quick results while the second procedure make take a couple of weeks - but involves much less risk.

The first procedure, sometimes refered to as "office bleach" uses a high concentration of oxidising agent over a short period of time. The advantage of this method is that is produces very quick results. However due to the concentration of the chemical agent being use, there is some risk involved which could cause chemical burns to the soft tissues in the mouth. In order to minimize this risk, a light-cured protective layer is applied to the gums and papilla before the bleaching agent is used on the teeth. The chemical used to bleach the teeth is usually a gel made up of carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide (up to 35%). Zoom tooth whitening is a popular in office treatment that uses light activated hydrogen peroxide gel to whiten your teeth.

The second procedure that's used for whitening the teeth uses a thin strip or mouthguard like device to hold a low concentration of oxidising agent next to the teeth. This device needs to be worn in the mouth several hours a day - for a period of 5 days up to 2 weeks. This method is referred to as the take-home or over-the-counter teeth whitening (or teeth bleaching) method. The risk involved using this procedure is considerable less because the chemical being used (hydrogen peroxide) is less than 10%.

Some risks involved with bleaching of the teeth are a temporary increase in tooth sensitivity as well as a potential for chemical burning of the soft tissues of the mouth which were mentined earlier. You should not use this procedure if you are allergic to peroxide. Tooth whitening is not recommended for children under 16 years of age as well as pregnant or lactating women.

White Teeth Can Give You a Beautiful Smile

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