Tooth whitening instructions

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The active ingredient in the gel that causes the whitening is carbamide peroxide. This ingredient breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, which acts as an oxygenating agent causing oxygen to enter the enamel and dentin (the outer layer of your teeth) to break up deposits lodged in your tooth structure.

This whitening acts only on the molecules that carry the discolouration and its affects will depend on the strength and duration when in contact with your teeth.

The strength of this active agent is limited by safety concerns. Your tooth structure remains unchanged, only the tooth surface is made lighter. Porcelain restorations and white fillings will not usually whiten.

Instructions:

• Brush and floss your teeth before putting in your bleaching trays.
• Apply a small drop of gel in each tooth imprint in the tray.
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• DO NOT OVERFILL THE TRAYS
• Insert the tray into your mouth and seat the tray firmly against your teeth, be sure not to push all the gel out.
• Wipe excess material from your gum with your finger or dry toothbrush.
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• Try to wear the trays for about 2-3 hours per day or for convenience sake you can wear the trays overnight.
• Rinse your mouth after removing the trays and brush away any remaining gel.
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• Clean the tray with a toothbrush and warm water, (hot water will damage the tray) dry carefully and store in the tray holder in a cool, dry place.
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• Fill your trays with Tooth Mousse or Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste (available at reception) and wear for about 2-5 minutes following the whitening *OPTIONAL*
• AVOID EATING, DRINKING OR SMOKING while the whitening trays are in place.
• Don't use any household o other whitening products to whiten your teeth.
• Keep out of reach of children.
• Keep away from direct sunlight - Keep refrigerated.
• Maximum results are achieved when the process is continued for 14 nights.
• AVOID citrus fruits and other acidic foods while in process of bleaching. They can contribute to sensitivity by changing the acidity of your saliva and could cause damage to the outer tooth surfaces or slow down the whitening process.
• AVOID tobacco, coffee, dark colas and red wines because these substances may re-stain your teeth.
• You should AVOID stain-causing beverages such as coffee, tea, coke for several days after the procedure, because your teeth may more readily absorb stain at this time.
• Try using a straw.
• Utilise electric toothbrushes and whitening toothpastes.
• After 2-4 weeks your teeth are probably bleached as much as possible.
• The area of tooth closest to the gums may take longer to whiten than the biting edge and will continue to remain the darkest part of the tooth.
• Renew the whitening as needed (every 3-6 months), by re-applying the gel in the trays and wearing the trays for 2-3 hours for 1-2 applications.
• Daily brushing & flossing.
• Regular dental cleaning will keep your teeth whiter, maintain gum tissue health, keep staining to a minimum and determine need for whitening touch -ups.
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Side Effects:

10% of patients might experience some discomfort to their teeth, gums, lips or throat and increased sensitivity to cold, heat or pressure during the whitening process.

This sensitivity is short lived and usually ends a day or two after the treatment is completed. If any of these symptoms occcur and are more than mile, and you have persistent discomfort, discontinue the treatment until you can contact Dr Hill. These symptoms usually reside 1-2 days after interrupting the treatment.

If this uncommon cause of sensitivity develops he can adjust your treatment regimen to help you attain the best results while ensuring your safety.

Sensitivity:

Sensitivity can develop in 15-20% or more of patients just from wearing the tray alone!

If you develop sensitive teeth try these things:

• Determine if the sensitivity is in the teeth or the bums. The symptoms are temporary and will subside in 1-3 days following termination of use of the whitening gel.
• Check to make sure you are not overloading the tray with gel. Follow the dosage markings on the syringe.
• Use a soft-bristle toothbrush.
• Special toothpaste (Tooth Mousse or Colgate Sensitive) for sensitive teeth. You may also wish to try an application of potassium nitrate or fluoride for 10-30 minutes prior to or after whitening, or alternating night with whitening material, is more than 90% effective in reducing sensitivity.
• Fluoride rinse or gel for sensitive teeth. Sensitivity protection toothpaste will usually take a couple of weeks to ease the discomfort. Ask us for potassium nitrate and fluoride to put in the tray after your "bleaching"
• Use short term treatments (20-60 minutes) in order to control these problems.
• Brushing the teeth with baking soda using a wet toothbrush for 30-60 seconds may help decrease tooth sensitivity.
• Some times breaking up the amount of time whitening is done into smaller, longer spaced segments will alleviate the sensitivity problem. Try taking a break for a day or two.
• Try taking ibuprofen for acute sensitivity. However, only take this medication if you do NOT have adverse reactions to the medication and it does not interact with any other medications you are currently taking.
• If you have a jolt or sharp pain you could have recessed gums, enamel fractures, a chipped tooth or leaking margins. This is why an exam is performed before whitening is started in order to deal with these problems first so you will be able to whiten your teeth with fewer complications.
• As of this time there seems to be no apparent long term problems with tooth whitening.
• Apply a ribbon of Tooth Mousse or Colgate Sensitive (alone) into the bleaching trays for either 30 minutes before or for 30 minutes after bleaching.

Before and After