Professional Teeth Whitening 

Professional Tooth Whitening for a big bright smile.

Tooth whitening is strictly a cosmetic treatment for improving the appearance of teeth by lightening stains and other discolorations.

It is all the rage these days to help make our teeth look whiter and brighter than ever before. You could say it is all about perfect smile care.

There are numerous things we do on a daily basis that contribute to staining and turning our teeth yellow. 

The worst culprits are the normal things we eat and drink everyday like coffee, tea, red wine, soft drinks and of course smoking is one of the main factors. 

Something you may not know is that teeth are porous and therefore the enamel absorbs stains.  Unfortunately regular brushing does little to remove stains once they are there. To bring back your once bright smile you are going to need some professional teeth whitening help.

Age is also a factor in causing discoloration of our teeth.  It is uncommon but sometimes, teeth stain from the inside rather than from the outside. Certain medications as well as excess fluoride can cause stains too.

Tooth whitening is a process that needs to be repeated regularly and can be done either in the dental clinic or at home.

If you are choosing to do it yourself at home, tooth whitening products are available from your local pharmacy or you can use custom-made trays and solutions that are prepared by your dentist.

Each system requires a series of whitening procedures of varying lengths.

Before beginning the whitening process, teeth should be professionally cleaned by a dentist or dental hygienist. At the same time any cavities should be taken care of and filled.

Receding gums can cause problems if they have receded to the point the roots are exposed.  Roots have no enamel and so the whitening agent can’t take hold. 

Also you should know whitening will not work on teeth that have crowns or veneers because the surfaces have been sealed off.

The Process of Teeth Whitening

The most usual way to whiten teeth is by using trays loaded with solutions of hydrogen peroxide that are similar in shape to a mouth guard. The solution-filled trays are positioned over the top and bottom rows of teeth.

If this is being done by a dentist it will usually be left in your mouth for one to two hours. Otherwise if you are doing the job at home yourself it will be left there overnight.

When carried out at the dentist's office sessions will be quite short, however the client will need to return for several sessions to give the best results.

The plus side of this method is that the dentist is right there to monitor the process the whole time, where as if it is done at home extreme care needs to be taken when inserting and wearing the mouth guards to prevent any leakage of the solution, as it will irritate the gums.

In theory, the longer you keep the solution on your teeth, the whiter your teeth will be.

However, some types of discoloration are very difficult to remove.

Some whitening products are only activated when they come into contact with light or heat. For health and safety these products are best used only under the supervision of a dentist.

Once teeth are whitened the effect will last between one to 6 months or longer depending on how well the teeth are cared for. Of course it goes without saying that it is best to avoid substances that cause staining.

The only side effects associated with teeth whitening is the chance of possible gum irritation and temporary sensitivity. Overall the process is quite safe. 

Pregnant women should avoid the process because so far no studies have been conducted on how or if teeth whitening agents affect a developing fetus.