Orthodontics and esthetics


Dental bleaching

After the orthodontic treatment has finished, esthethic procedures can begin. Dental bleaching is the most wanted procedure patients look for. Almost everyone can benefit from teeth whitening, that can be done through some different ways.

Teeth bleaching has been done in one form or another for the last 100 years, and it has proven itself to be safe and effective. The current popularity of the bleaching process goes back only about 10 years, catching on with the public fairly quickly, There are many alternatives to whiten the teeth. Some can take place in the denatl office. Others can be implemented by the patiens at home.

 

Some offices offer a quick start bleaching procedure in which a concentrated peroxide gel is placed on the teeth and allowed to remain in place while "activated" with a light source. In-office whitening is effective, but can be time consuming. Sometimes the result the patient expects cannot be achieved in only one session and more procedures are required. Prior to the introduction of at-home tray-bleaching techniques, this was the only form of bleaching offered to the public.

Take-home bleaching is available only through your dentist. The bleaching material can only be bought with a prescription and must be applied using the custom trays that the dentist or his hygienist makes for you. The agent is carbamide peroxide and it comes in concentrations between 10% to 35% with 15% being the most popular for professional take-home bleaching.

Today, many tooth manufacturers sell whitening products, whitening strips and special tooth paste. No matter the choice, those options are allways less effective. It is our opinion that dental bleaching must be done under professional supervision.

Whitening toothpaste are over-the-counter preparations that have a low concentration of carbamide peroxide. These toothpastes will work to brighten your teeth if you are a very good brusher.

 

Whitening strips are designed so that they will adhere to the teeth. They are applied and worn for several hours like the trays described above. The carbamide concentration in home bleaching strips is only 7% to 14% while professionally prescribed take-home bleaches come in either 22% or 32%. Thus it takes a lot longer to get the same results using over the counter bleaching strips than it does using professionally prescribed bleaching solutions in trays.