Professional Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening in an office is not a complicated process. It does require some skill so the gum area of the patient is not damaged. The professionals use equipment to prepare the patient and put a final finish on the teeth. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to whiten someone’s teeth.
The dentist will make a record on what shade your teeth are now and then polish your teeth with pumice, which is a granny material that takes off all the plaque.
Your mouth, gumline, and tongue would be kept away from the whitening solution. The whitening solution would then be put on the surface of the teeth. Carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide are usually used for bleaching. A light would be used to activate the peroxide and left on for about 30-60 minutes.
Once the shade that is desired has been reached or the maximum time allowed for the solution to be on the teeth has been reached, then the teeth are rinsed. If the teeth are sensitive, a fluoride application may be applied. Additional visits may be needed to reach the desired whiteness. Learn more here about the cost of teeth whitening.
At-Home Teeth Whitening Kits
Many individuals are doing professional at-home whitening of their own teeth to save some money. These professional kits require an impression of your teeth and can only be gotten from your dentist. It takes two weeks on average for the trays to be produced. The trays are shaped to your teeth to give them a custom fit. You would need to use the dental cups for an hour or two each day.
Extrinsic and Intrinsic Stains
There are two different types of stains that happen on teeth. The Extrinsic stains are the ones that are on the surface like coffee, tea, red wine, smoking, and foods. These can be whitened by using a whitening toothpaste or strips in between dentist’s visits.
Intrinsic stains are the deeper stains that are inside the enamel. They are usually due to aging, medications or even genetics. Individuals would need to use an abrasive whitening paste to get rid of the stains. In most cases, it would take a dentist to bring the white back to the teeth and a great smile.
