What is Teeth Whitening?

Teeth Whitening is a branch of cosmetic dentistry treatments. Which includes the process of removing teeth stains by bleaching the teeth with any of the whitening techniques.

What are the Teeth Whitening options?

There are so many teeth whitening options either in-office whitening or Take-home whitening kits.

1. In-Office Teeth Whitening:

In-office Teeth whitening is performed by a dentist or trained professional. And this option distinguishes by its shorter time, safety, done by experts, effectiveness, and last longer compared with teeth whitening home kits.

This option’s procedure generally includes protecting your gum with either paint on dental dam or any kind of guard. Then they use gel with a high peroxide concentration, and they use this bleaching material with either laser or without laser and this depends on the technique the dentist or the dental clinic is using.

•     Bleaching (without Laser Teeth Whitening):

The Bleaching method is an old method of teeth whitening. Bleaching is the basis of the teeth whitening process, but the term bleaching is permitted by the FDA. So, the dentist uses the term “Teeth Whitening” instead.

In this method, they are only using a whitening gel which is a highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide product (in office gel Normally, 40% concentration of hydrogen peroxide gel like opalescence). This hydrogen peroxide is an active agent that breaks down the stains or tartar molecules by releasing oxygen between the enamel micro-fractures. And this process normally takes 1 to several hours depending on the whitening method and products the dentist uses.

After these teeth whiting sessions, your teeth become sensitive to the cold as the enamel pores are opened after the treatment. So, the inner layer becomes exposed to air and becomes sensitive, till the enamel micro-fracture heals over time. The dentist should or can give you a Mouth rinse or anti-sensitivity toothpaste that will boost your enamel mineralization process.

•     Laser Teeth Whitening:

Laser teeth whitening is the modern method for teeth whitening and the most used whitening option for these days. As it’s fast, effective, and done by experts. This method includes a combination of whitening gel products and high-intensity light.

Laser teeth whitening is similar to without laser teeth whitening except that the dentist directs a laser source on the whitening gel above your teeth, so the gel will heat up and the laser will accelerate or activate the release of the oxygen so it will break down the stains and whitening your teeth faster.

Normally in laser teeth whitening the session is between 45 minutes and 90 minutes depending on the technique the dentist uses. for example, an Opalescence laser session approximately takes 1 hour divided into 3 sessions of 20 minutes.

Laser teeth whitening increases the sensitivity of your teeth after the session, so normally after the session, the dentist will give you a dental care routine to cure the enamel and to keep the result of the whitening session.

2. In-Home Teeth Whitening:

In-home teeth whitening is another solution to getting shiny white teeth. There are a lot of home kit whitening products and methods that are sold in the Market, in Pharmacies, and in beauty stores. Those products all contain whitening material like the In-office Whitening material, but with less concentration. So, you should consult a dentist before using any of those products as there might be brands that don’t suit your gum and may cause some side effects.

In addition, the home teeth whitening kit has a short-term effect and may take months to see an effect. On the other hand, it’s a very good option to keep your dental health and keep the effect of your teeth whitening session. So, you should understand the types of those products and the effect of each one on your teeth.

• Whitening pens (whitening wands)

As it’s sound those are pens filled with low concentrations of bleaching material (should be less than 10% of hydrogen peroxide). This solution works as a quick, but short-term solution to maintain your teeth on the go. Like after drinking a cup of tea or coffee to reduce the effect of the stain.

But again, this should be used with the dentist’s restriction as it may cause gum irritation and enamel erosion. Also, you should ask the dentist for the right product with the appropriate concentration for you.

• Whitening Strips

Like the whitening pens the whitening strips are a fast, short-term solution for your teeth and maybe need days to see a good whitening effect. Furthermore, there are so many products and brands for this option too so it’s better to pick the one with less concentration.

• Whitening chewing gum

This is a new option for the whitening market. it Stimulates the release or production of saliva, so which helps in against bacteria and stains formation. However, it also contains sugar that may cause enamel erosion over time.

• Whitening toothpaste

There are so many whitening and safe fluoride toothpaste on the market like opalescence fluoride toothpaste. It contains Potassium Nitrate, silica, and fluoride that heals and strengthens your enamel as well as doesn’t cause any sensitivity or gum iteration. There is also the most common whitening toothpaste that contains hydrogen peroxide. However, this kind of toothpaste is not healthy or may cause enamel erosion over time.

Also, there is charcoal toothpaste as an option for teeth whitening but some research proved that it doesn’t help in teeth whitening, it harms your enamel and is hard to clean.

• Whitening Mouthwash

Whitening mouthwash that contains hydrogen peroxide has an effect over time on whitening your teeth. But you should use them with a dentist consultation as it may cause dehydration and gum irritation if you use them without caution.

For Further Information regarding dental topics, click here.