The secret of a beautiful and attractive smile beside healthiness is the whiteness of the teeth. The bright white smile of celebrities cannot be reached by whitening toothpaste and chewing gums. The solution is the professional whitening.
Teeth darken over time for a variety of reasons: tea, coffee, wine or tobacco consumption antibiotic use excessive fluoride or simply age. Professional tooth whitening is a procedure that lightens teeth and helps to remove stains and discoloration. Whitening is among the most popular cosmetic dental procedures because it can significantly improve the appearance of your teeth at much less cost and inconvenience than other techniques like veneers or crowns.
There are two main types of whitening procedures.
In-office (chairside) whitening allows your dentist to use a more powerful whitening gel. A specialized light or laser activates the gel and allows bleaching to happen faster. It takes 30 to 90 minutes. One of the most efficient whitening systems is the so called ZOOM! Lamp and whitening gel kit developed by dentists in California.
Before the teeth can be whitened with Zoom, an oral health evaluation must be done. If the patient suffers from tooth decay or gum disease, whitening can only be done after dental treatment. In case of poor oral hygiene, whitening is not recommended until oral health is corrected.
Before the whitening procedure begins a deep dental hygiene treatment is carried out by the hygienist. The treatment begins with the isolation of the soft and sensitive tissues, because both the whitening gel and the light can cause harm. The application of the hydrogen peroxide gel is followed by 3 X15 minutes light therapy that helps to activate the peroxide. During the treatment you can listen to music, watch television or switch on the massage function of the chair.
The result will be seen almost immediately. Zoom could provide 9 shades lighter teeth. After the procedure, you have to avoid eating and drinking certain foods and drinks such as coffee, red wine, juices, carrot, spinach etc.
The other type is the so-called in-home whitening when your dentist will take impressions of your upper and lower teeth and will prepare a mouthguard. You have to put the gel into the mouthguard and use it for about ten days during the night. After this type of whitening, you should follow the same rules as in case of the Zoom whitening. No colourful food and drink!
Is the treatment painful? Does it damage the teeth?
Neither the home whitening procedure nor the Zoom should be painful. Although both methods are basically pain-free, during the first few days after the treatment, patients might experience sensitivity or temporary pain. The problem can be solved by using a special gel containing fluoride.
We have no information about damaged teeth after whitening. The best guarantee is that the dentists of our clinic use these whitening systems to whiten their own and their relatives’ teeth.
Whitening is not recommended during pregnancy as the effect of the whitening materials on the fetus is not known.
