Why Teeth Whitening?

Every individual wants to have beautiful teeth. Especially people with stains and yellowing on their teeth want teeth whitening to have a beautiful smile. If just removing the yellowing of the teeth is enough for a good smile, it is possible to achieve this with teeth whitening gels.

But often the problem is not only the color of the teeth. The alignment of the teeth, their size and old fillings or existing caries on the teeth can prevent a beautiful smile. If only a tooth color problem is detected after the examination in the clinic, teeth whitening is recommended to the patient. In this case, the person can have whiter teeth in a short time. Sometimes problems such as fracture, decay, filling are detected in one or more of the teeth. Other teeth are intact. Whitening is applied for healthy teeth. After the bleaching process is finished, the color of the teeth is adjusted according to the color of the teeth that have been bleached.

In dental fillings, the light source used in teeth whitening is commonly known as a laser, as are the irradiated filling materials known as laser fillings. However, very low energy lasers can be used for whitening. It is a method that is not used much due to the risk of necrosis in the tooth. If a fast teeth whitening is desired, the method known as laser teeth whitening is preferred. The whitening gel applied on the teeth is more effective thanks to the light effect. In this way, a more effective whitening is provided. If you want to achieve teeth whitening in a short period of time, bleaching using a light source is required.

Office whitening, which is more costly than home teeth whitening, is generally known as laser whitening in the society. Because the whitening applied on the teeth is activated by a chemical light source. This light source is nowadays mainly provided by halogen lights of special wavelengths. Lights with a wavelength of 700 900 nanometers, which show the same effect as laser energy, are now the standard in teeth whitening.

What Should Be Considered Before Teeth Whitening?

Before starting the teeth whitening process, tartar should be removed from the mouth. Gum disease, if any, should be treated. Teeth whitening will not be suitable for patients with bleeding gums. For patients with broken teeth and old fillings in their mouths, it is recommended to eliminate these problems first. Because broken teeth or teeth that have problems at the junction of the tooth and the filling will have a problem of leaking during whitening. In order to avoid such a situation, decayed, broken or old filled teeth should be treated first. If there are cracks on the teeth, it may cause pain during whitening. If your dentist deems it necessary after an oral examination, he/she may recommend fluoride application before whitening.

Barrier use in teeth whitening

A mouth opener called a retractor is placed on the patient’s lips and cheeks to prevent contamination of the bleaching medication. To prevent the chemical material used in teeth whitening from damaging the gums, a colored barrier is applied to cover the gums. In this way, the whitening gel does not come into contact with the gums. Especially in the areas where the teeth and gums meet, if a barrier is carefully applied, tingling is minimized. The barrier covering the gums has the consistency of cream and becomes hard when the beam is applied to it. The physician can check whether the hardening of the barrier is complete by touching the barrier.

In home teeth whitening, transparent bleaching trays made according to the size taken from the mouth help to protect the gums. On the plaster model of the teeth, the areas where the bleaching medication will be applied are covered with block-out material. The teeth whitening tray is then pressed onto the tooth model. This prevents the gel to be used for home whitening from getting on the gums. Swallowing whitening gels is not recommended. However, even if some of the overflowing parts go into the mouth or throat, it will not harm.

Teeth Whitening Gel

Teeth whitening gel, which contains chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide, is then applied in contact with the tooth surface. For an effective whitening process, the whitening gel is left on the tooth for 15 minutes to half an hour. how long this period will be is determined by the experience of the dentist. After the whitening gel is left on the teeth long enough and the beam is applied, the gel is carefully removed from the teeth. A strong vacuum is usually used with the help of a surgical aspirator. Contamination into the mouth is also prevented. The mouth is then rinsed with water and the protective barrier at the junction of the teeth and gums is removed.

The best and cheapest way to have whiter teeth is “not to whiten the teeth all the time, but to take good care of the teeth and prevent them from getting dirty”.

Is Teeth Whitening Harmful?

Many scientific researches have been conducted on whether teeth whitening applications cause any damage to the teeth. The gel used for this purpose should not be an unknown product. The fact that it has not been sufficiently tested on the market before can create problems for the patient and for the dentist.

In any case, your dentist should give you enough information about what purpose and what application he/she plans to perform. The safest materials used in the clinic are known brands because they have been used for a long time and no problems have been encountered. In Turkey, teeth whitening products such as Polo Office, Polo home, Opalescence Boost, Beyond have been used for a long time.

Teeth whitening may cause a slight sensitivity in the teeth. Especially when drinking cold water, tooth sensitivity may bother you for up to a week. In such cases, you should inform your dentist. Even if no procedure is performed, the sensitivity will disappear spontaneously within 7-10 days. During this period, you should take a break from the procedure. Your tooth enamel is not damaged. Contrary to what is known and predicted, there are scientific studies showing that tooth enamel strengthens after the procedure. Teeth whitening, which we have been practicing in our clinic for more than 10 years, makes our patients extremely happy. We have not detected any negative side effects so far. You can have teeth whitening with confidence. This does not mean that it can be easily applied to every person. However, it is a procedure that we find safe after our examination and is worth everything for patients who need it.

What is Teeth Whitening?

Teeth whitening is a dentistry service for yellowed or discolored, stained teeth to lighten the color of the teeth and make them whiter. It can also be done at home, but cleaning the tartar on your teeth under the supervision of a dentist, reviewing your other dental health problems, if any, and whitening with the help of a laser will help you achieve the results you want faster, effortlessly and guaranteed.

Teeth Whitening at Home

For this procedure, your dentist first takes an impression from the mouth. Then a model is prepared for this impression in the laboratory. The areas on the prepared model where the bleaching medication will be applied are filled with block out material. A transparent plaque to be used in the whitening process is prepared on the model. This is how the container of the teeth whitener is prepared.

The dentist checks the fit of the teeth whitening tray in the mouth. He makes the necessary corrections. Your dentist will inform you about how often and for how long you should use the medication according to the color and mineral properties of your teeth. Only a knowledgeable and experienced dentist can determine and apply what needs to be done in cases such as sensitivity, gum problems or less whitening of some teeth, which may occur in your teeth during the drug application period.

As some people think, just putting a tooth whitening medicine in a plaque and applying it in the mouth is not enough for aesthetic tooth whitening. Teeth whitening applied for aesthetic purposes should be applied and followed professionally in order to achieve the desired result.

For some patients, teeth whitening cannot be applied at home due to reasons such as nausea or lack of time. In this case, the same result can be achieved by increasing the number of sessions of the office whitening process. Based on my clinical experience, I can easily say that home teeth whitening alone is often not enough. After in-office whitening, I believe that the application of home bleach provides better results for almost everyone.

Teeth Whitening in a Clinic

When dis bleaching, which is a lifesaving method for patients with color problems, is applied in conscious hands, results that make patients extremely happy are obtained. Office-type whiteners used in the clinic are found in high-concentration syringes. First, a protective layer is created in the area where the teeth and gums meet. The protective process is applied so that the teeth are exposed. The protective layer is hardened by applying light. This process is extremely important. As a result of poor isolation, sensitivity and even pain may occur in the teeth and gums. When tooth whitening chemicals come into contact with the gums, the gums turn white. This is a temporary situation. In such a case, it is washed with plenty of water according to the doctor’s recommendation. The patient should be told in advance not to cover the teeth during the teeth whitening session.

Many people already know that it is correct to use both methods together. However, the combination of the home and office type is expensive. Patients are directed to home-type aligners, which are cheaper.

The social life of the person whose tooth color is improved changes positively. As I mentioned above, in my opinion, the ideal teeth whitening method is a combination of home and office whitening. In some cases, only office whitening may be necessary. Especially for patients with time constraints and those who cannot wear mouth trays, teeth whitening is applied in the clinic.