Teeth Whitening
Why whiten the teeth?
Teeth whitening is a great way to improve their appearance without doing any dentistry! Teeth will often darken over the years as a result of stains from smoking, food and drinks such as tea, coffee and red wine. Some people will have naturally darker teeth.
How is it done?
The active ingredient in the whitening process is Carbamide Peroxide. At Balbriggan Dental Clinic we use a 10%-15% gel in custom made trays to do this. The trays are made by taking impressions of the teeth. Many people like to wear the trays overnight but 3 hours during the day should produce a similar result. By whitening the teeth in this way, we achieve a long-lasting improvement in shade. If necessary the trays can be reused with a small top up of gel, years down the line, to reproduce the original whitened shade. It is possible to whiten the teeth in the chair, but I don’t like this method as it can make the teeth very sensitive and given the ban on using gel stronger than 15% (Eu directive 2011), it is unlikely to give a long-lasting result.
Will it suit you?
We need to consider a number of factors here, such as the presence of crowns, dentures or large white fillings. These areas will not change shade and may need to be replaced to ensure a good colour match. We need to fix any problems with decay or active gum disease prior to doing any whitening. People who have problems with gum recession may not be suited to whitening as it can make the teeth sensitive. We also avoid whitening for pregnant ladies or people under the age of 18.
Sensitivity Tips
Whitening can make the teeth sensitive but this tends to be a minor problem . We recommend using a special tooth sensitivity toothpaste before and during the whitening phase. The toothpaste can also be put in the trays after whitening to allow the teeth to settle. The frequency of the whitening can be reduced- e.g whitening on alternate days rather than every day or only using the gel for 2-3 hours also helps.
If you’re interested in whitening or would like to know more give us a call on 01 6903464.
www.balbriggandental.ie
