Microsoft word - tooth whitening smilecraft 6

Tooth whitening can be a highly effective, yet very simple way, of lightening the colour of teeth without removing any of the tooth surface. It cannot make a colour change, but lightens the existing colour. In a live tooth the dentist applies the whitening product using a specially made tray which fits into the mouth like a gum shield. The active ingredient in the product is normally hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Whitening depends on the amount of lightening that you desire and the original shade of your teeth. If the tooth has been root treated, a different “in-and-out” bleaching technique is used. If your teeth are quite dark or very yellow/ grey/ tetracycline stained it will take longer to bleach the teeth. In both cases, the procedure needs to be repeated until The darker your teeth, the longer your teeth will take to get lighter. Tetracycline stained teeth can take 6 months or up to one year to bleach the teeth. Some teeth can whiten after one month. If you cannot wear the trays for a few days because of First of all you will need to visit your dentist. Your dentist your hectic schedule, it does not matter. Bleach your will need to make a bleaching tray, which is a bit like a thin transparent mouthguard, and will need to take impressions for this at the first appointment. Once your dentist has checked the fit of your bleaching trays he/she will demonstrate how to correctly place the gel in the trays before seating them and you will continue the Everyone is different; and just as our hair and skin colour treatment at home. This will mean applying the varies, so do our teeth. Some teeth have a yellowish bleaching gel regularly over 2-4 weeks for 2-3 hours at a tinge, some are more beige – very few are actually time. It is very important to remove all the excess ‘white’. Teeth also yellow with age, can become stained material around the gums or the palate prior to sleeping on the surface by food and drinks such as tea, coffee, with the trays. We check your bleaching progress red wine, blackcurrant and cola. Calculus (tartar) can fortnightly during the period you are using the bleaching also affect the colour of the teeth. Some people may have staining inside their teeth. Intrinsic stain can be caused by certain antibiotics taken during tooth development, or tiny cracks in the teeth, which can allow stain to be absorbed. Treatment results may vary depending on the original shade of the teeth. Teeth will tend to darken slightly over time. The effect lasts for around 1 to 3 years, although Something to Smile About. 
sometimes it can last longer. Some people find that their Whitening toothpaste may also help to keep up the teeth are sensitive for the first few days after treatment, appearance, once teeth have been professionally WHAT ABOUT BEAUTY SALONS & HOME KITS? These days there is plenty of choice when it comes to Some people may find that their teeth become sensitive whitening. You can even have a procedure carried out at to cold during or after the treatment. Others report some beauty salons and hairdressers! You will pay less, discomfort in the gums, a sore throat or white patches on but you really will get what you pay for. It is vital that your the gum line. These symptoms are usually temporary teeth and gums are healthy before any procedure of this and should disappear within a few days of the treatment nature is carried out as off-the-shelf/amateur options can lead to gum erosion, damage and loss of tooth enamel and structure, and extreme pain sensitivity. Some of your teeth may be dark as they are dead and they require other treatment prior to whitening! The only person you Wearing Your Bleaching Tray: Home bleaching will
should really trust to give this assessment and any only be effective if you conscientiously wear the bleaching tray for the prescribed number of hours per day. Over-the-counter kits are not recommended as they contain only a small amount of bleaching agent which makes the product less effective. Some also contain mild acids, while others are abrasive. Although these Sensitivity of teeth is the most common side effect of products are cheaper, whitening is a complicated bleaching. If you are experiencing any sensitivity you treatment procedure and should only be carried out by a should stop bleaching your teeth for a few days. You can dentist after a thorough examination and assessment of resume after about 3-4 days. If your teeth become ultra- your teeth. It is very important to follow the instructions sensitive you can place sensitive toothpaste into the your dentist gives you, and to make sure that you go for bleaching trays for an hour a day. That will usually stop the sensitivity. Alternatively you can rub the de-sensitising toothpaste into the gum margins with your finger 5 times per day for a few days. If you are at all concerned, please call the practice. Whitening can only lighten your existing tooth colour. For a change to specific chosen shade veneering is another option. Whitening only works on natural teeth. It will not work on any type of 'false’ teeth. This includes dentures, crowns and veneers. Stained tooth coloured fillings, If the teeth have white spots on them before bleaching, veneers, crowns and dentures may need replacing. these spots will appear whiter during the first few days, however the contrast between the spots and the rest of the tooth will be less and eventually they will not be noticeable. Sometimes the dentist can do a special procedure called “Microabrasion” for you where the white There are now several whitening toothpastes you can spots can be more permanently removed. Ask your buy. Although they do not affect the natural colour of the dentist about the procedure if you are concerned about tooth, they may be effective at removing staining and therefore improving the overall appearance of the tooth. Something to Smile About. 
You may notice new white spots occurring on the teeth while you are undertaking the bleaching treatment. These white spots were already present on the teeth Normally the new white colour of your teeth keeps quite before bleaching. As the teeth become lighter they well. The effect is dependent on what has caused the become more visible. Do not worry. As the whole tooth teeth to discolour in the first place. If you drink lots of tea, itself becomes lighter these spots will fade. You may coffee, red wine, blackcurrant and cola the effect may notice these white spots immediately after a bleaching darken slightly. Some patients do a top up treatment after 18 months. Some patients do not need to. Some teeth may appear banded with lighter/ whiter areas. Again these bandings are originally present on the tooth. As the tooth is dark these bandings are not Safety studies have shown that bleaching teeth using the obvious. As the tooth becomes lighter, the lighter parts of dentist prescribed home bleaching technique is perfectly the tooth will lighten first followed by the darker banded safe on the teeth, cheeks, gum and tissue of the mouth. area. After a week or so these will not be noticeable any more. There are problems with the bleaching kits that are purchased over the counter. Although they are inexpensive, they normally contain an acid rinse, which can damage the teeth or thin down the enamel of the teeth. This acid rinse can be extremely harmful to the Normally the teeth feel very clean after the bleaching teeth. There was a case where a patient purchased the procedure. The bleaching materials also have an indirect kit over the counter, bleached the teeth. The teeth went effect on the gums in helping them to heal or improving darker and the patient continued using the treatment. the health of the gums. This is how the technique was The darkening of teeth occurred because the acid rinse invented as it was first used to heal gum irritation during had worn the enamel away and the darker shade was in It is not, however, advisable to bleach your teeth if you smoke. It is best to stop smoking for at least 3 weeks before commencing the bleaching procedure. Smoking Your smile will appear brighter as a bonus. It is very causes the teeth to become darker anyway and the rare, but sometimes the teeth do not lighten at all. If this happens and you are wearing the bleaching trays as recommended, we may need to try a different bleaching The technique of Bleaching Teeth is not for everybody. product or a slightly higher concentration of the bleaching There are some situations where bleaching teeth is material. Discuss this with your dentist. contraindicated such as when the front teeth are already crowned or when there are very large fillings on the front If you have white fillings in the front teeth that match the teeth or the teeth are already excessively worn and there existing shade of your teeth before you bleach your teeth, they may not match the teeth afterwards. This is because your teeth can lighten, but the fillings do not lighten. When the desired colour has been achieved, the dentist can replace these fillings with a lighter shade of filling material to match the new shade of your teeth. Normally the dentist will wait 2-3 weeks before changing the fillings. Something to Smile About. 

Source: http://www.smilecraft.co.uk/pdfs/ToothWhitening_Smilecraft.pdf