Tooth Whitening/Bleaching

How Does Tooth Whitening Work?

 A clear flavoured gel base bleaching product made up of carbamide peroxide is applied in the "bleach" tray that is worn over the teeth for several hours each day or overnight... This systems works well for moderate staining or discoloration. Please note that
there is actually no household bleach involved at all in this process.

Professional Tooth Whitening vs. Over-The-Counter Kits

Whitening is safe and effective when supervised by Dr. Hill and his staff as opposed to over the counter treatments.

Be careful of over the counter home bleaching kit: 

     1. They can vary in quality of materials.The gel may be of low viscosity allowing the gel to leak onto your gums and cause irritation.
     2. Whitening gel may be swallowed due to poor fitting one size fits all bleaching trays.
     3. Lack of dental supervision.
     4. Often ineffective and give a disappointing result

The boil-and bite" trays used by over-the-counter products:

- Dramatically overlap soft tissue (gums) producing more irritation.
- They also feel bulky in your mouth which can result in discomfort and possible ja joint problems.
- Whitening results are more unpredictable

Dentist supervised whitening ensures that you are the right candidate for the procedure, monitor the progress of bleaching and address problems if they arise.  
Without this guidance, people sometimes try to bleach teeth discolored from nerve damage, trauma or cavities.  Bleaching these teeth only causes additional damage. People with tooth sensitivity or gum disease also can create more problems

We suggest dentist supervised take home bleaching kits.

• These kits use high quality materials
• Individualied designed trays that are less bulky and conforms more closely to the natural contours of your teeth making it more comfortable and safe to produce better whitening results.
  

  

• Only your dentist can provide you with a well constructed whitening tray
• The custom-fitted tray helps protect your gums from leaking peroxide.
• More importantly your dentist can perform a check-up before you use the kit which allows problems to be identified before they cause pain or are worsened as a result of unsupervised bleaching. 
• Follow-up visits allow the dentist to monitor progress and address problems that may arise.
• It is a safer method that provides betters results.
  

Tooth Whitening vs. Toothpaste That Promotes Whitening

The reasons for this are that the toothpaste is diluted by saliva and is only in your mouth for a few minutes or less.  Also whitening toothpastes do not lighten the color of tooth structure; they simply remove surface stains with mild abrasives or special chemical or polishing agents.
With the whitening kit you will be able to see results within three days of starting the whitening process and usually takes only 4-5 applications to see one colour shade change. 
Remember: Whitening toothpaste can only remove stains; they do not change the colour of the teeth.

What Is Involved?

Tooth whitening can be done in your home around your schedule after only two visits to our office:

• At your first visit we will check your teeth and gums to be sure that you begin the treatment in good dental health. We will than take an impression of your teeth in order to provide you with a custom-fit soft plastic tray that is fabricated by us. This tray is designed to hold the whitening gel next to your teeth.
• At the second visit, this custom made mouth tray will be tried in, adjusted and trimmed to channel the active whitening agent to your teeth and not your gums to prevent irritation. You will be given your kit which contains the custom mouth piece; syringe delivered whitening gel and samples of products to help you maintain your smile along with instructions and supervision by Dr Hill. You decide when and how often to bleach your teeth!

Side Effects

The main ingredients in most whitening products are hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. One in two people experience temporary tooth sensitivity to cold, heat, or pressure as a result of home whitening treatment.  Individuals with receding gums appear most likely to experience tooth sensitivity. This sensitivity is short lived and tends to decrease as whitening treatment progresses and usually ends a day or two after the treatment is completed. Remember that home use whitening systems are safe and effective and result in only mild, temporary changes in gum and dental pulp tissues.

If you have persistent discomfort please contact Dr. Hill If this uncommon case of sensitivity develops he can adjust your treatment regimen to help you attain the best results while ensuring your safety.

Contra-Indications for Tooth Whitening

1. We do not recommend bleaching for smokers or alcohol users. Smokers should stop smoking before having their teeth bleached. The smoking not only defeats the effect of whitening but there is concern about the mixture of hydrogen peroxide with smoking having a potentiating effect on tissue damage already known to be caused by smoking.
2. If you have pre-existing cosmetic restoration (bonded fillings (composite or white), porcelain crowns or veneers) you may need to replace them after the whitening treatment in order to match your new, whiter smile.
3. Stains in the gray family (such as from tetracycline) can be harder to remove, if not impossible. These stains can take up to six months or longer to whiten.
4. The best candidates for whitening are those with stains caused by coffee, tobacco or aging. 

If restorations are planned for the anterior (front) part of your mouth it is advisable to accomplish the whitening first, and then match the new restorations to the now whitened teeth. You will need to plan to wait three weeks after bleaching before starting these restorative procedures.

We cannot predict the effectiveness of the whitening agent, so it is recommended that whitening be tried first to see what degree of shade change is obtainable because each person’s reaction to whitening is so individual. 
The results for people, who don’t smoke, drink coffee/ tea/red wine and have good dental health habits see little to no change in their whitening effect for up to five years after treatment.
You can easily "touch-up" the results at home within a few days once or twice a year. And don’t forget to keep your regular dental visits.

For permanent change, you should consider the placement of Veneers.

    
Teeth come in many colours. Some have a yellowish tone, some orange, some brown and some gray. The outside of your teeth, the enamel, is clear. The colour that you see show through from the tooth structure under the enamel called the dentin.
To whiten teeth a peroxide-type chemical is applied and it goes through the enamel into the dentin. There are different ways this chemical can be applied. Both the character of your teeth and the whitening technique used determines how long it will take for your teeth to whiten, how white your teeth will get, and how long the whiter colour will last.

Individual's Teeth

It is important for you to understand that every individual's teeth respond in a unique way to bleaching and whitening products.  Some people will see dramatic results in a short time; others will see little results or need lengthier treatment to achieve desired results.  This is why it is very important to seek the advice and supervision of your dentist for your safety and favorable results.
Over the years you may have experienced a natural build up of stains on your teeth from coffee, tea, colas, smoking, antibiotics, food, deposits of calculus and tartar, certain minerals, old fillings, tooth nerve damage or trauma to teeth that have darkened the natural whiteness of your teeth. These factors will affect the bleaching procedure you should choose.  These factors also determine when the teeth will need a bleaching touch-up.
But yellowing (aging) of your teeth can be easily reversed to boost your self confidence, appearance and self esteem.