WHAT IS TOOTH WHITENING?
One of the most important goals of modern dentistry is to accomplish natural tooth esthetic. When people think about healthy teeth, they generally imagine straight, white teeth without any caries. Nowadays modern society thinks tooth and face esthetics are correlated with social status. One of the ways to achieve esthetics is tooth whitening. Some people are born with yellow teeth. And no matter how much a person brushes a white appearance cannot be achieved. These color imperfections of teeth are considered to be an aesthetic problem. Tooth whitening is the process of chemically bleaching the discolorations on the surface of the teeth, occurred by physiological or pathological reasons. Whitening is a process that must be carried out under the supervision of dentists.
HOW IT IS APPLIED
It has two kinds, office-whitening, and home-whitening.
Office-whitening is applied by the dentist at the clinic. The process consists of an application of the whitening gel on the surfaces of the teeth and exposing it to the light that will start the reaction. With this type of whitening, also known as laser whitening, teeth are whitened in a short amount of time. It takes a 45mins-1 hour. If the requested results are not achieved, it can be repeated after 1 week.
Home-whitening consists of whitening trays which the dentist prepares and the whitening gel that will be used by the patient at home for 3-6 days. The dentist takes an impression of the patient’s teeth and upper and lower whitening trays are produced. The trays and the gel is delivered to the patient. The patient applies the gel into the trays and places them onto the teeth for 4-8 hours a day, ensuring the requested whiteness and esthetic.
THE ADVANTAGES OF TOOTH WHITENING TREATMENT
Thanks to tooth whitening treatments people can have a better smile, therefore self-confidence is increased and happier mood in day-to-day life is achieved. Tooth whitening is a fast, reliable treatment with satisfactory results. It is cheaper than having a crown or laminates done.
AFTER THE TREATMENT
The first week after the treatment is the most important. The patients are requested to avoid coloring or staining substances. After eating, the mouth must be rinsed with water or the teeth must be brushed.24 hours after the treatment, too hot or too cold food or drinks must not be consumed. The sensitivity or pain that might occur after the treatment can be reduced with painkillers. After this period the patient can get back to their ordinary life.
Cleaning After the Tooth Whitening
To make the whiteness long-lasting after the whitening treatment, good oral hygiene is crucial.