Teeth whitening is a form of cosmetic dentistry that is purely associated with improving aesthetics. Teeth whitening is a major trend in dentistry that gives you an unmatched set of bright teeth, which simply look beautiful! The procedure involves a single appointment, and should not take you more than a couple of hours to get over with it.
However, to prep you up for your next teeth whitening appointment, here is how it’s done:
- The first step is to check the shade of your teeth. The dentist would first record the shade of your teeth, to get a glimpse of the current whiteness of your teeth, the extent to which it could be whitened, and the concentration of the solution that would be required for an ideal whitening. Upon the completion of this step, the dentist would then move to the core steps involved in teeth whitening.
- With the help of pumice, the dentist would virtually clean and polish your teeth. This is to get rid of any existing plaque. If there is any presence of plaque, the solution loses its efficiency, and neither would you get a set of perfectly white teeth, nor would the whitening last long enough! Since the solution is best effective when the teeth are dry, gauze will be placed to keep your mouth isolated. Furthermore, your gums, tongue, and cheeks would be kept away from your teeth with the help of barriers and retractors to keep the solution from affecting them.
- Following that, a hydrogen peroxide solution, which is the most common teeth whitening agent, will be applied to coat your teeth. You must know, however, that the coating will only take place on the frontal surface of the teeth. The posterior surface is not coated to save the adjacent areas from the solution. This whitening agent simply enters through the pores of your teeth and eliminates any existing stain in them. This is what brings back the natural color of the teeth and makes it look whiter!
- Your teeth would be left with the coating on them for about half an hour, or more if required until the desired shade is achieved. Now and then, the dentist would check the shade that has been achieved, and would rinse your mouth as soon as the desired shade starts to show! Some dentists may even prefer brushing your teeth after that to wash away any residue of the solution.
- Finally, you’d be given a fluoride treatment. This is to keep the shine of the teeth, and also to get rid of any existing germs on the teeth.
It is advised that you get your teeth whitened once a year, to maintain your dental aesthetics. While in-home kits are trending in the market, they are not as effective as professional whitening at the dentist. Also, traditional whitening is better than UV whitening as they last much longer, and pose no possible harm to the teeth.
