Professional tooth whitening services are provided by dentists for patients with discolored, stained, or yellowed teeth. The natural color of our teeth is because of the outer enamel layer. The color of enamel differs for each case, though, but usually the color ranges along very light yellow to a grayish shade of white. Over time, as the teeth experiences the regular wear and tear and gets exposed to various ingredients such as coffee, soft drinks, food, candy, cigarette smoke, and so on, the enamel layer is covered by a pellicle film made of foreign materials that get left behind and accumulate on top of each tooth surface.
Over time, when the pellicle layer is left on top of the tooth, it starts to affect the enamel layer. Since enamel is porous, the pellicle layer starts to get absorbed and this causes stains and discoloration. Discoloration, stains, and yellowing teeth aren’t really harmful, but they are unattractive and embarrassing.
That’s why a lot of people these days are seeking tooth whitening solutions. So far, the effective course of action is to seek tooth whitening treatments from your dentist.
The Facts About Professional Tooth Whitening
- Why Go to Your Dentist for Tooth Whitening
- Professional Tooth Bleaching Procedure
- Whitening Agents
- Risks of Tooth Bleaching
1. Why Go to Your Dentist for Tooth Whitening?
If you have yellowed or discolored teeth and you’re wondering what best to do about them, you will probably compare the benefits of professional whitening procedures and tooth whitening kits that can be used at home. Professional treatment is more expensive, but it offers one major advantage: they work instantly. So even if you walk into your dentist’s clinic with yellowed discolored teeth, those same teeth will be things of the past the moment you walk out.
2. Professional Tooth Bleaching Procedure
The professional tooth whitening procedure is a very simple one. You start out by having your teeth checked first. It is best to hear your dentist’s recommendation about whether you really need a tooth whitening procedure. Once it is decided that you will undergo a tooth whitening procedure, your dentist will also check your teeth thoroughly, check your dental and medical history for your allergies and other important details, observe the tissues in your mouth, and so on. Some teeth are very sensitive, so bleaching may do further damage instead of be an advantageous procedure. In some cases, x-rays may be necessary.
Once the dentist decides that it is safe to go on with the treatment, you will come in for the actual treatment.
3. Whitening Agents
Most tooth whitening products use the same bleaching agents, which are carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. The effects, however, are the same, because carbamide peroxide ultimately breaks down into hydrogen peroxide once in the mouth. The products come in two main types, though: the low concentration ones and the high concentration ones.
Professionals, however, also offer laser tooth whitening procedures, wherein the gel is activated using laser light so that it will work immediately. The laser whitening procedure can be finished in the same day.
4. Risks of Tooth Bleaching
Tooth bleaching and whitening may be your one chance of reclaiming back your self-confidence, but these should not be taken lightly as well. If you want to enjoy effective tooth whitening and you go to a dentist for it, you should at least ask for information regarding the procedure that will be done and the whitening material that will be used. This is because some teeth whitening procedures can result in some side effects.
Some risks you may be facing include chemical burns, which occurs if high concentrations of the whitening agent comes into contact with unprotected tissues that are often found in sensitive teeth, overbleaching or excessively white teeth, and the rebound effect wherein the whitening effect is indeed very effective but goes away completely after a very short time.
However, if you seek professional tooth whitening, the risks are lower than when you use home bleaching kits, some of which are deemed pretty harmful because they use whitening agents in high concentrations.
Whitening Kits Prescribed by Dentists
If you seek professional tooth whitening, you may be surprised to encounter some dentists that prescribe take-home whitening kits instead. Many dentists professionally believe that take-home whitening kits are more effective than in-office whitening because the take-home kits use low concentration agents, which are safer, and that they can also stay on the teeth for longer periods. This, however, won’t give you the instant white you may be after.