Teeth Whitening
ZOOM! Teeth Whitening
Did you know that many of the things we rely on in our daily life were invented by accident? This was the case when penicillin was discovered by Alexander Flemming in 1928. After leaving on vacation, he returned to find his petri dishes filled with a green mould that was killing other bacteria in the dish. The mould was then isolated, propagated, and became one of the most used antibiotics used to this day.
Imagine the surprise of dentists who, in the 1980s, were treating gum disease with peroxide and began noticing that it whitened the tooth’s shade with each treatment. Peroxide was being used for its antiseptic properties since it was effective at killing disease-causing bacteria. Not only was the treatment effective, but they knew it to be safe.
Today, Zoom! teeth whitening maintains its standing as one of the most commonly requested services in dentistry. In fact, it has been so popular that multiple over-the-counter products are being sold every day to those who prefer to whiten at home.
Thinking of Whitening your teeth?
If you are considering trying a tooth whitening system or product, it can be helpful to first assess your expectation of the result. Zoom! Teeth whitening has become so widely desired that some patients continue to whiten the teeth in an effort to reach an unreasonable standard.
Before whitening your teeth, consider what you could be doing at home to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome. For example, if you are a habitual smoker, surface stains will be an ongoing battle that can hamper your whitening success. You might consider treating yourself to teeth whitening once you have successfully kicked the smoking habit. The results achieved will be easier to maintain without chronic exposure to smoke (a stainer). Older patients should be aware that it is natural for teeth to discolor slightly with age – more noticeable in men owing to their having bigger teeth.
Whether you visit the Dentist every six month as recommended, or if you haven’t been to the Dentist in years, we want to help you gain and maintain good oral health.
What Else Can I Do to Whiten Naturally?
What you eat, what you drink and what your lifestyle includes will always play a role in the shade of your teeth. Avoiding sugary drinks and deep red wines may be difficult at first if they are staple favorites in your diet, but your teeth and body will thank you. The acidity in carbonated drinks, combined with the heavy coloration of stainers like wine, coffee and sodas are a threat to your enamel. Not only will they stain your teeth, they increase the plaque bacteria and acidity found in the mouth and attack the enamel. More plaque leads to more tartar, which is also readily stained by beverages.
Make sure that you are up to date with your preventative maintenance appointments with your dentist before you decide to whiten the teeth. Surface stains and tartar are removed during a professional cleaning, which means you start with a blank slate when you apply your whitening product afterward.
How Does it Work?
Whitening relies on peroxide to seep into the horizontal channels in the enamel and act directly on the dentin. Dentin is more yellow in tone than the enamel, but because enamel is mostly transparent, the colour of your dentin affects how white your teeth are. This is the case whether you are using a whitening strip at home or you are using clinical strength products through your dentist.
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D&D Dental Clinic Mill Woods Edmonton prides ourselves in offering gentle and compassionate dentistry with the same care and comfort we want for ourselves.
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Providing you with maximum level of comfort & professionalism in every visit! All services performed by a general dentist.
What Should I Use?
There are many whitening options available to you, but there are some things to consider about using over-the-counter products. First, these products are not available to the average consumer in clinical concentrations. This means you may need several treatments to achieve the results you desire. If weaker concentrations are not successful, you end up paying for the over-the-counter solutions as well as clinical treatment.
Over-the-counter products tend not to offer protection to the gums while the teeth are being whitened. This can cause mild chemical burns to the gums and leave them sensitive. The other difference in these products is that your dentist has the ability to use a hydrating solution on your teeth when whitening is done. This is because the whitening process dehydrates the dentin, causing it to shrink and compress the inner chamber slightly. Although this is not necessary, patients find hydrating solutions make a significant difference in their discomfort following treatment.
Am I Guaranteed Results?
In order to predict the likely outcome of your whitening treatment, your dentist will want to examine the discoloured teeth to ensure there isn’t more going on. Grey teeth, for example, will not see results with traditional whitening. This is due to the fact that their color change can be traced back to discoloration inside the tooth, rather than the outer layers of tooth. For this, your dentist will still avail themselves of the benefits of peroxide solution, but this time it will be injected into the tooth to bleach it from within. This is done by making a small hole in the tooth, injecting whitening solution, and waiting a few days before seeing your dentist again to have the tooth flushed and filled.
Are There Long-lasting Alternatives to Teeth Whitening?
If you are looking for a more permanent solution to tooth discoloration, ask your dentist about your options. Dental procedures like bonding and the installation of veneers may be a good fit for you. Both veneers and bonding are color matched to the exact color of other natural teeth and last several years before needing any maintenance. Because these materials are non-porous, they are resistant to staining.
If you have questions about these or other services offered by our general dentist, contact our clinic today.
