Bright teeth are important for a confident smile, and stained teeth are an obstacle to it. Our teeth’ color naturally designs according to our skin or lip tones but sometimes it gets stained by intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic staining is the stain on the teeth that develop due to the intake of medicine such as tetracycline, during pregnancy by the mother or in childhood during tooth development, they are hard permanent stains and difficult to remove. Extrinsic stains are caused by tea, coffee, red wine, and smoking, these stains are also hard to remove depending upon the duration and frequency of intake of food and beverages that can cause a stain.
HOW MUCH IS A TEETH WHITENING COST?
Teeth whitening treatments are included in cosmetic dentistry. In-office or in-chair teeth whitening treatment is more expensive than other teeth whitening treatments. That cost is around 200$ per tooth compared to a whiting home kit which is around 600 to 800$.
In-office whitening treatment is a safer whitening teeth treatment performed by a registered practitioner. It gives long-lasting and better results to remove hard, permanent, and intrinsic stains (medicine stains during teeth development).
Teeth whitening is not a permanent solution, it lasts for 1 to 3 years depending upon diet and smoking habits. Tea, coffee, red wine, and smoking can stain the teeth and reduce the long-lasting effects of whiting treatment. It is highly recommended by the dentist to avoid intake of any beverage that can stain your teeth in the initial 48 hr of whitening treatment.
HOW DOES TEETH WHITENING WORK?
Teeth whitening is used to remove unwanted stains from teeth and make the teeth brighter. Bleaching agents, Hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide (oxidizing agent) is used as an active agent in both techniques in-office or home techniques but in different concentrations.
Hydrogen peroxide chemically reacts with the teeth’s upper surface and breaks down and removes the stain. In-office teeth whitening technique, dentists apply a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide gel. Laser or ultraviolet light is used to activate the chemical reaction that breaks down and removes the stain. Great caution is required for in-office whitening treatment due to the high concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The dentist completely secures gums and soft tissue before starting the treatment.
In -office teeth whitening treatment, a high dose of hydrogen peroxide concentration can cause mild sensitivity due to dentine exposure that resolves after a few days. The dentist applies fluoride gel to restore the enamel layer that is damaged due to the bleaching agent and also prescribed desensitizing toothpaste and mouthwash after whitening treatment.
In-home whitening treatment, hydrogen peroxide is also used as an active ingredient but in low concentration that is used in the form of a strip.
WHAT ARE THE BEST TEETH WHITENING?
There are different teeth whitening options used depending on the stain type, and required result timing. Teeth whitening products work to remove minor extrinsic stains. In-office whitening produces better, long-lasting, and early results even in the same day or two or more sitting and it works against all types of stains.
Teeth whitening products such as whitening toothpaste and mouthwashes are commonly used to remove minor extrinsic stains such as tea and coffee. Whitening toothpaste has a minor quantity of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide as a whitening agent, fluoride, and some abrasive particles such as baking soda and charcoal, prolonged daily usage of these products can damage tooth surface. Always used whitening tooth products according to the dentist’s recommendation.
In-house treatment, a whitening home kit is used to remove the stain. The whitening home kit has a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide according to Australian Dental Association (ADA) o.1% of hydrogen peroxide is used in the whitening kit, which is why it gives delayed results. It will take around 2 to 4 weeks to remove the stain or sometimes fail to remove an intrinsic hard stain. The home whitening kit has whitening gel or strips with a mouth guard. The whitening gel is applied directly or with the help of a brush on the teeth then covered overnight with a mouth guard, according to product guidance.
In-office is the best whitening treatment because it gives you instant and long-term results under dentist supervision. After a complete examination, the dentist selects your tooth shade then he takes the impression to make a custom fitted mouth guard. Cover your gum to avoid any chemical burn and take all the precautionary measures to reduce any treatment hindrance. Then he started the procedure by applying a bleaching agent on the tooth surface and then activating it for 30 to 40 minutes, sometimes hard stains are difficult to remove in a single dental sitting then arrange multiple dental appointments to obtain the complete and best result. Contact your local Five Dock dentist to arrange your initial consultation today!