About Tooth Whitening
What is Tooth Whitening-
Tooth whitening procedures typically lighten dark teeth that have stains and or discoloration. Today Whitening is one of the most popular dental procedures and can dramatically improve the appearance of your teeth. Tooth whitening can be done in the dental office or now that are many at home products. Every day when you take that sip of tea or coffee or any other food or drink that stains your teeth darken. The outer part of the of your tooth that hold these stains is called the enamel. When you choose to whiten your teeth you have to realize that whitening is not a onetime thing, you’ll have to go more than once to keep that bright smile.
Most people that want to go to the dentist or use home whitening product like tooth whitening gels to get their teeth whitened are either aging or have certain stains on their teeth like coffee or tea. Most people don’t know this but your teeth can actually have internal stains as well, these are called intrinsic stains. These types of stains are left due to too much fluoride as a child or in women who took tetracycline antibiotics during the second half of pregnancy.
Before getting your teeth whitened-
Teeth need to be cleaned and cared for prior to have any whitening procedure. If cavities are present those will need to be taken care of due to the whitening penetration the decay and get into the inner areas of the tooth which will result in sensitivity. Whitening will not work on any crown or veneers.
As mentioned above whitening treatments can be done in the dental office or at home. When it comes to in-office whitening the dentist will typically take pictures of your teeth to create a benchmark so they can see how your teeth are coming in terms of whitening. You can expect multiple visits to the dentist around thirty minutes each for examinations and to find out what your goals are for stain removal or your teeth.
When the dentist is done with the examinations you’ll get a teeth cleaning then the whitening process will begin.
If your desire is to do home whitening talking to your dentist about what works best based on your goals is the best method. If home method is the route you choose your dentist will make custom mouth trays for you to put the tooth whitening gel in. Usually home tooth whitening gels take two the three weeks. Before starting use of any home products speak to your dentist about the pros and cons and any possible damage that could result from improper usage.