Cosmetic Dentistry

Tooth Whitening

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Description

It is a completely safe technique which does not cause any harm to the teeth. It can create a temporary sensitivity (which completely disappears by the end of the whitening}.

Before the whitening, the cleaning and polishing of the teeth is required. During this procedure, smoking, coffee red wine etc.are completely prohibited.

NEW TECHNOLOGY:
Office whitening for one hour with a specialized product (OPALESCENSE X-TRA from ULTRADENT) that is activated with a LED light source. Whitening with lazer light is not recommended. The results are temporar, the temperature of the teeth is highly elevated.
Alternatively a product that doesn’t need activation from a light source (OPALESCENCE X_TRA BOOST from ULTRADENT) can be used.

If the in office whitening is not performed, the patient must use the special splints for 2 hours. Daily for at least 10 days (some years ago the patient had to wear these splints for 15 days and during all night).

After the in office procedure, the patient uses at home special splints-matrices for 2 hours daily and for 5 days .

The in office whitening procedure is not recommended by itself without the use of whitening splints at home.

When only in office whitening is performed, the results tend to be more temporar and not long lasting, the final result is not as good, especially for smokers and coffee users.
WARNING: The commercial-OTC products are intended only for the maintenance of the whitening (toothpastes, varnishes, whitening tapes).

Questions

When is tooth whitening performed?

When the teeth are not any more white
When the teeth are yellow, dark, grey, with stains
When we are born with yellow teeth
When teeth become darker after the use of antibiotics, e.g tetracycline., or after chemotherapy
When smoking
When consuming daily coffee, tea, red wine, coca cola, cranberry juice.

How does whitening work?

A special gel with carbamide or hydrogen peroxide is applied on the teeth. The gel penetrates inside the dentine tubules, produces oxygen and dilutes the different stains in the tooth, without altering the tooth structure. A common belief is that the whitening gel functions on the surface of the tooth and destroys the enamel which is not correct. It simply changes the colour of the teeth.

Is tooth whitening a safe procedure?

Tooth whitening is the simplest and most conservative treatment in the Esthetic Dentistry field. It is a routine procedure, in a daily basis, thousands of whitenings are being performed globally. This whole idea was initiated by Dr Haywood, in the United States, 15 years before. Meanwhile, hundrends of clinical and research studies have been done, testing the safety of this procedure for the human tissues. It is documented that the whitening gel does not cause any harm to the enamel, the stomach and of course does not cause oral cancer. The single side effect of the whitening is a temporary sensitivity for the 10% of the people and this sensitivity lasts as long as the whitening procedure. It disappears immediately after the end of the whitening. The teeth are not being weaker, they are just whiter!!!

Which is the formula of the whitening gel?

Carbamide peroxide in concentrations 10-15-20% for home whitening and 35-38% for office whitening. Some products contain hydrogen peroxide. The new technology whitening products contain PF (nitrous potassium and fluoride) for minimizing the sensitivity, strengthening the enamel and preventing the tooth caries.

Does tooth whitening last?

According to the facts from the scientific research the whitening lasts for several years in the 80-100 % of the initial result. The basic requirement for this duration is to use the special splints once a year. The touch up procedure is being done for 4 days at a minimal cost.
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