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When you meet someone, do
you flash your smile? Or do you hide your teeth? If
yellow or stained teeth are keeping you from
looking and feeling your best, bleaching is a safe
process that whitens your teeth and could put
a brighter smile in your life while giving your
self-confidence a boost. |
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At one time, crowns
(caps) were the only alternative to restoring
badly discolored or decayed teeth. More recently,
porcelain veneers
and
composite bonding
have become available as an attractive alternative for
patients, because veneers require removal of
little if any, tooth structure. |
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Now there's even another
alternative available to make natural teeth look whiter:
bleaching. This process reverses the
discoloration of tooth enamel to create a whiter,
more esthetic appearance. The advantages of this
procedure are that no natural tooth structure is
lost, and no anesthetic is required. |
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Is Bleaching for Me? |
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Bleaching is tough on
stains, but gentle on your teeth. It can remove many
stains that are in the outer layers of the tooth.
If your teeth have yellowed with age or are
stained from tobacco, tea, coffee, or food,
bleaching may restore their natural whiteness.
Antibiotic (tetracycline) stains and discoloration
caused by an injury may take longer to bleach and not
respond as well. Bleaching will not change the
color of fillings or crowns, and it's not
advised if your pregnant or breastfeeding. |
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What Is Tooth Bleaching? |
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Bleaching is done in
a series of appointments until the desired effect is
achieved. While at one time, only non-vital (root
canal treated) teeth were bleaching candidates, the
technology is now available to bleach vital teeth,
as well. |
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During the procedure a
solution of hydrogen peroxide is carefully
applied to the specific teeth. The teeth are then
exposed to a special light (at a fairly close
range) to accelerate the bleaching process. |
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What Happens During The
Bleaching Process? |
For bleaching to be
most effective, a number of steps are involved to ensure
the most esthetic results.
- Lubricant is
applied to the gums.
- A protective
material (rubber dam) is placed around the necks
of the teeth to protect your gums, tongue and lips.
- The teeth are
thoroughly cleaned to remove excess lubricant.
- Conditioner
is applied; then the teeth are rinsed and dried.
- The teeth to be
bleached are covered with cotton gauze.
- The bleaching
solution is applied to the gauze covered teeth
and the bleaching light is positioned. (You
may be given a special pair of glare-reducing eye
glasses to wear during the bleaching procedure).
- When the
bleaching process is completed, the gauze and
rubber dam material are removed.
- The teeth are given
a final polish.
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Are There Any Other
Considerations? |
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Yes. Bleaching is
somewhat reversible. In order to attain the desired
degree of whiteness, the procedure may have to be
performed a number of times (normally 3-5 visits). You
may also require a simple "touch-up" visit once a
year to maintain your bright new smile. |
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Before and After Photos of
Teeth Bleaching |
