At Polaris Dental Care, we want to make sure good oral health reflects on the overall aesthetics of your smile which is why we are here to provide services that will help you enhance your smile to be brighter and whiter. Achieve that smile you have always wanted through our Teeth Whitening.
Teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures as it lightens your teeth and helps remove stains and discoloration. It can greatly impact how your teeth look. This cosmetic procedure is actually not recommended for everyone, but is ideal for people who have healthy unrestored teeth and gums. Patients with yellow tones to their teeth respond best to teeth whitening.
Often times, teeth get stained and discolored due to many factors like food intake and some habits. Let’s get to know the reasons for teeth discoloration:
- Food and drinks. Many food cause teeth discoloration, examples are coffee, wine, and tea. They have intense color pigments called chromogens that stick to the tooth enamel.
- Tobacco Use. Tar and nicotine are the two chemicals found in tobacco. Tar is naturally dark in color and nicotine turns yellowish once it is mixed with oxygen. This is why smoking tobacco causes unnecessary stains in your teeth.
- Over time, the enamel gets thinner with brushing which exposes more of the dentin. The dentin is the softer are under the enamel.
- If you have been injured or hit in the mouth, your teeth may change in color because it lays down more dentin and dentin is the darker, softer layer under the enamel.
- Certain antihistamines, antipsychotics and high blood pressure medications can result to tooth darkening.
- There are several diseases that affect the enamel and dentin of the teeth which causes teeth discoloration. Treatments for certain conditions can also affect tooth color. For example, head and neck radiation and chemotherapy can cause teeth discoloration. In addition, certain infections in pregnant mothers can cause tooth discoloration in the infant by affecting enamel development.
- Some people just really have naturally brighter or thicker enamel than others.
- Excessive fluoride from environmental sources like naturally high levels of fluoride in the water, or excessive fluoride applications from toothpaste or supplements can cause teeth discoloration.
While there are many reasons behind teeth discoloration, there are also types or methods for teeth whitening.
OVER THE COUNTER (OTC) OR HOME TOOTH WHITENING SYSTEMS – Over the counter whitening methods are becoming more and more common and popular because they are relatively cheaper and are easier to use. They can even be purchased without the dentist’s prescription. Examples of these are paint on tooth gel, whitening toothpaste, whitening strips and even whitening gums.
PROFESSIONAL TEETH WHITENING / IN OFFICE TEETH WHITENING – also known as power bleaching/ power whitening/ chairside whitening is the recommended and preferred cosmetic dental procedure for teeth whitening because it is proven to be extremely effective and is able to improve the teeth’s shade to being brighter even in a single visit. The dentist uses a powerful whitening gel and activates it with the use of an intense light or laser that makes the bleaching faster.
This procedure is typically not uncomfortable and painful and normally takes 30 to 90 minutes, and may require one to three appointments depending on the severity of the stains and how the white the patient wants his or her teeth to be.
The procedure starts with the insertion of cheek retractor into the mouth that exposes all visible teeth when you smile. Then the bleaching gel with hydrogen peroxide is applied on to the teeth and kept for 15 to 30 minutes. After the application, the gel will be washed and rinsed off and another gel is applied for another 15 to 30 minutes. And to hasten and enhance the bleaching process, a specialized light or laser is incorporated. The final gel will be applied then towards the end and cheek retractors are removed. There will be a noticeable change on the shade of the teeth as it will whiten by around two to three shades or sometimes will even reach eight to ten times whiter.
If you think teeth whitening is ideal for you, you may contact our dental office anytime.