Want to make your teeth look whiter?

Teeth Whitening  or Bleaching is the most marketed or demanded procedure in cosmetic dentistry now-a-days. It is a procedure which makes our teeth appear white. We all want our teeth to glow and look beautiful like pearls and give us a beautiful and attractive smile.

Before and after bleaching.

 Why do we need to go for tooth whitening procedure?

 Simple, the answer is 'because our teeth look yellow or brown or you can say stained."
 Now , there are a number of causes which make our teeth discolored or stained. They are as follows:

 1) Internal factors causing Intrinsic stains

•  Some discoloration is present by birth: When our teeth erupt, they are already discolored      (yellowish, brownish). This happens if the mother takes antibiotics like tetracycline or  doxycycline at the time of gestation or if children take these antibiotics before 8 yrs of age.
•  High level of fluoride in drinking water of the locality causes fluorosis. 
•  Trauma to tooth also causes internal bleeding in tooth leading to intrinsic stains like red, brown, green stain.

 2)  External factors causing Extrinsic stains

•  Food items: Tea, coffee, cola containing drinks, etc
• Tobacco and betel nut chewing, smoking.
• Plaques and calculus.  
• Mouthwash stains

 Am I the right candidate for teeth whitening?
      Yes, you can go for teeth whitening procedure if :

• You don't have highly sensitive teeth.
• Your gums are not receding.
• You are not allergic to hydrogen peroxide or sodium carbamide.
• You don't have any carious decay or fractured tooth (go for filling of teeth before whitening)

 What are the advantages of bleaching?

•  Teeth bleaching or whitening gives you amazingly beautiful white teeth, which makes your smile beautiful.
•  It helps in boosting your confidence and adds an edge to your personality, specially if you  have to give some presentations, apply for modelling or acting, if you are going to get married,  or attend some special function.

      Remember if your smile looks beautiful, you look beautiful...the world becomes a beautiful place for you. And with the whole new confidence you can win the world.

What are the limitations of teeth whitening?

   Teeth whitening or bleaching can not be done on teeth which are restored such as filling, crowns, veneers, bridges, because bleach can not alter the color of these materials.

What are the side effects of bleaching? 

   Bleaching causes tooth sensitivity and some gum irritation for a few days, which goes away easily with the help of sensitivity tooth pastes, mouth rinses.

 How is teeth whitening done?
   There are two ways of bleaching teeth:

   1) In Office Bleach; In this technique, you go to your dentist and the dentist uses a bleaching paste containing Hydrogen Peroxide to whiten your teeth. A gum protecting layer would be applied followed by the bleaching paste. The dentist can also use a laser light for whitening after applying the paste.

A gum protecting gel is applied before applying the bleach paste.

   2) Home Bleaching: In this technique, you buy over the counter bleach kit and use it yourself to bleach your teeth. You will get a custom made tray that can fit around your teeth and a bleaching paste. You have to put that paste in the tray and then wear that tray on your teeth. Since the tray is custom made, it may not fit properly on your teeth and the paste may cause irritation on your gums.

Home bleaching kit containing trays and bleaching paste.

 It is generally advisable to go for In Office Bleaching because the procedure is done by specialist and under proper supervision. 

How to take care of my teeth after bleaching is done?
      After bleaching you have to keep a few things in mind:

• Maintain proper oral hygiene by brushing your teeth twice daily with a soft bristle brush, interdental brushes, dental floss, etc.
• Do not use chlorhexidine containing mouth wash continuously for more than 2 weeks.
• Try to reduce the intake of stain causing food items listed above.

 What would be the follow up schedule after bleaching?

     The truth about bleaching is that it is never permanent. The teeth may change color again after a few months or year. For maintaining the whiteness you'll have to go for some cleaning, polishing and touch ups from time to time.

                                                           Happy Tooth Bleaching :)