What is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is a dental procedure that brightens discolored teeth, due to different reasons the teeth lose their natural brightness and can get discolored also which doesn’t allow you to smile confidently. Teeth whitening techniques focus on giving you a sparkling and shiny smile in just a few dental visits to restore your confident smile. Among all the techniques, the best dentists in Delhi suggest In-office teeth whitening as one of the effective teeth whitening techniques.
Why is Teeth Whitening Needed?
Over time you may observe that the teeth have lost their natural shine. Here are some of the factors responsible for the discoloring of the teeth:
Age – Over time due to ageing the tooth loses its natural shine and the outer enamel tends to undergo wear and tear. This makes the tooth look darker.
Colored Foods – Wine, tea, coffee and sauces used on different foods can all cause discolored teeth eventually.
Tobacco – Teeth staining can also happen due to tobacco usage in the form of smoking or chewing.
Bad Oral Hygiene – The staining of the teeth is increased when there is no proper brushing and flossing. The plaque and tarter build-up are increased with no oral hygiene. Avoiding professional dental cleanings once in a few months can also build up staining on teeth.
Dental Trauma – If there are any dental injuries due to accidents or sports trauma then there will be less blood flow to the teeth nerves reducing the natural enamel formation on the tooth.
Diseases and Treatments – Some of the infections in the body hinder enamel development in kids and adults. The treatments of radiation and chemotherapy that are given for chronic diseases can also cause the tooth to be discolored.
Medications – Extensive use of antibiotics in children can cause tooth discoloration. Some of the mouthwashes and mouth rinses that contain chemicals known as chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride also stain the teeth.
Other Reasons – Higher fluoride content in water and also excessive use of mouth rinses and kinds of toothpaste that has more fluoride can cause white spots on the teeth and this condition is known as fluorosis.
Teeth Whitening Procedures
Whitening Toothpaste
The whitening toothpaste contains mild abrasives and also chemical such as hydrogen peroxide that helps in lightening teeth and brightening the teeth by one shade.
Whitening Gels and Strips
Whitening gels are clear-looking gel that contains peroxide that should be applied with a brush atleast twice a day. The results of the gel usage can be seen in 3-4 months.
Similar to the gel, there are also whitening strips that contain peroxide gel in them that can be used on daily basis and the results will be seen in 3-4 months.
Whitening Rinses – These are similar to mouthwashes that give a fresh breath along with cleaning the bacterial and plaque formation in the teeth. These rinses also contain whitening agents and they should be used twice a day by rinsing in the mouth for about 1 minute in each rinse.
Whitening Trays – These trays are similar to the mouth guards and they should be used for fewer hours (usually at night) daily.
What to Expect: In-Office Teeth Whitening by Best Dentist in Delhi
The in-office whitening technique is considered one of the most effective techniques of teeth whitening. Here are the details of what to expect on arriving at the dental office for whitening treatment.
After the initial dental formalities, the dentist will display the chart of the teeth shades to explain the maximum shade of whitening that can be achieved post-treatment.
The treatment begins with the dentist polishing the tooth to remove the plaque by using a pumice tool.
A rubber barrier is placed inside the mouth area in the gumline to ensure that the whitening gel does not touch the cheeks, gums or any other fleshy area of the mouth.
The gel is applied to the teeth and left for an hour along with the application of laser light.
The whitening gel may have to be applied repeatedly during the treatment for effectiveness.
On completion of the procedure, the mouth is rinsed well and since the whitening gel usage may make the teeth sensitive, fluoride will be applied to the teeth.
Once the treatment is completed, the dentist will advise you to avoid some of the colored foods to avoid staining the treated teeth.
The dentist will also take your teeth impressions and will provide customized take-home trays that can be used for achieving the desired results of teeth whitening.
