Teeth Whitening – How is it done?

Professional teeth whitening procedures easily last up to three years, depending on the lifestyle of the patient. Drinking too much coffee, tea, red wine and using tobacco products will accelerate the darkening of teeth. To prolong the effects of the teeth whitening procedure, patients are advised to cut down on snacks and drinks with high sugar levels and to use a whitening toothpaste.

Professional Bleaching

During professional bleaching hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide is used. These chemicals are used to break down and permit the oxygen to get into the enamel of the teeth. This treatment is commonly done over three to four weeks. The cosmetic dentist will make a customized mouth guard in which the bleaching chemicals will be placed and on your teeth between 30 to 60 minutes per treatment. Some treatments can be continued at home. To speed up the whitening process, some treatments are left for up to 8 hours and results are visible within seven days. 

 Professional Internal Bleaching

With professional internal bleaching the bleaching agent is placed inside the core of the tooth thus working from the inside out. This form of whitening can only be performed on teeth that have been root treated and no nerves or blood vessels are present. The cosmetic dentist will drill a hole into ach of the teeth and placing the bleaching agent inside every tooth and then seal it again. Approximately seven days later the bleaching agent is removed and the holes are filled with a colored filling. Because of the lack of nerves, there is no pain associated with this procedure.

Laser Whitening

During the laser whitening process, rubber protection is placed on the gums and the teeth are painted with the bleaching product. Once the teeth are painted, a laser beam is projected onto the teeth that activate the bleaching agent. This form of teeth whitening can easily whitens the teeth up to six times lighter than the normal teeth shade. It is also known that laser teeth whitening are more costly than traditional bleaching.