CLEARLY HAVING WHITER TEETH IS SOMETHING THAT IS ON A LOT OF PEOPLE’S MINDS.
According to the American Association of Orthodontists, almost 90% of patients have requested tooth whitening at some point.
Tooth discoloration can occur for a number of reasons.
- Food and drinks can stain your teeth; the biggest offenders being coffee, red wine, and tea
- Dental trauma
- Certain medications
- Age
- Tobacco
The first thing you need to do is speak to your dentist. They will be able to tell you if teeth whitening is a good idea. Teeth whitening does not work on all teeth and before you start, it is important to know if you would see any benefits.
So how do dentists whiten teeth?
Professional Bleaching
One procedure they use is professional bleaching which can be done in about three to four weeks.
1. The dentist will start by protecting your gums by placing a gel on them.
2. Next, a mouthguard-like product that has been fitted to your mouth is filled with a whitening product and will be applied to your teeth.
You will begin this procedure at the dentist office but continue at home by applying the whitening product. The dentist will instruct you on how to do this and how long to keep the product on.
Power Whitening
The more recent procedure that some dentists use is called “power whitening.” This procedure is quicker than a professional bleaching, only taking about an hour to complete.
1. To protect your gums, a rubber dam is placed over the teeth.
2. The dentist will then take a bleaching product and coat that on your teeth.
3. Once the product is on your teeth, a special light is shone on the teeth, this will activate the chemical in the whitening product.
