Hello again from our blog space!
It has been a long while, we know, and what can we say? Time is really precious – especially free time! Unfortunately, our free time is really limited and sometimes we have to postpone several projects in order to finish some other projects.
But that does not mean of course that we forget our blog!
Even though we promised to talk about amalgam fillings vs composite resin fillings last month we see that the process of tooth whitening is more crucial and more people want information on this procedure. So, today we are going to focus on the process of teeth bleaching. It is a very popular aesthetic/cosmetic procedure in dentistry nowadays, since more and more people want to have a rather white smile that looks healthy and sparking clean!
First of all let us define what teeth whitening or bleaching really is. For start no-one is painting your teeth whiter with this process. This is rather impossible. What actually happens is that the dentist with the help of a specific gel (H2O2) makes your teeth pores open wide and therefore changes the way the light goes through your teeth making your teeth seem a lot whiter.
In one hour you can have your teeth whitened up to 8 scales of white! This is something that only an in-office bleaching or whitening process can guarantee.
All of us have seen the ads on “whitening” toothpastes, but let us be realistic here. How can a toothpaste that is in our mouth for less than 3 minutes achieve a whitening result when the in-office whitening or bleaching takes up to an hour?
These “whitening” toothpastes are good for maintaining the result of a whitening process and no more.
Ok, so you have decided you are ready you want to whiten your teeth. But there are still a few things left unanswered:
– Does it hurt?
– Are there any side effects?
– How long does it last?
– Do my teeth get damaged with teeth whitening or teeth bleaching?
Let us see each of those questions in detail.
-First of all, the process itself does not hurt at all. There is occasionally on some patients a small discomfort or a small amount of pain considered but it is nothing that a Panadol cannot take care of. This discomfort lasts for only 24 hours.
-There are no side-effects. Some patients have complained on teeth sensitivity, but this goes away in 24 hours.
-The tooth bleaching/whitening lasts at least one year – even though the manufacturers state 2 years. Practice states that a repeat procedure is required once a year.
-Teeth whitening does not damage in any way whatsoever your teeth.
Something that you have to pay attention to is what you will eat and drink after the whitening process. If you want to keep your white smile, you have to avoid eating and drinking anything that is not white including coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices, red wine, whiskey, tomatoes, carrots, red meat etc. So what can you eat? The answer is white stuff – pears, pasta whit white sauce, rice, etc etc.
You have to keep this diet only for three days and it is a really small price to pay in order to gain such a bright smile!
Ok, our post today has been a little longer than the previous ones, so we will leave you to consider these facts and we will talk next month about amalgam fillings vs composite resin fillings.
Until then have fun!