Tooth Bleaching
Dental bleaching, also known as tooth bleaching, is a common procedure but most especially in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Teeth can become stained by bacterial pigments, foodstuffs and tobacco. Certain antibiotic medications can also cause teeth stains or a reduction in the brilliance of the enamel.
According to FDA, teeth bleaching is permitted to be used only when teeth can be whitened beyond its natural color. Cosmetic tooth bleaching will help out removing the stains from the micro cracks in enamel, which later get mineralized due to saliva.
The indications for tooth bleaching starts when extrinsic stains present on the teeth has to be removed, as a result of exposure to food, dark colored beverages, tobacco, smoking and normal wear and tear of teeth and intrinsic stains caused due to trauma, tetracycline ingestion during tooth formation stage and high concentration of fluoride intake.
The dentist needs to evaluate the teeth completely before bleaching and take a complete medical history to avoid any allergies and sensitivities along with the routine X-rays.
Types of Tooth Bleaching
In-office Bleaching: This involves a takeover home bleaching kit which contains a lower concentration carbamide peroxide gel along with custom made bleaching trays which are specifically made for the patient by taking an impression of the teeth in the first appointment.
The gel is applied on the tray and the patient wears it like a mouth guard for about 1 hour at least ,sometimes overnight too, depending on the concentration of the gel. The procedure is repeated every alternate days and treatment time varies from patient to patient but is roughly around 6 – 15 days.
Internal Bleaching: The tooth is kept under observation for a few days after which the gel may be rinsed or the procedure may be repeated. This procedure helps in removing blood stains and debris from dentine which get lodged there during the process of root canal treatment.
A large number of other bleaching products such as whitening kits involving bleaching strips or gels with one-size-that-fits-all mouth trays, chewing gums or whitening tooth pastes are available in the market which uses very low concentration of bleaching gel, so we can use the same for our brighter teeth!
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