Here's what you need to know about teeth whitening/bleaching and whitening toothpastes!

I am often asked by many of my friends, family and patients about the teeth whitening/bleaching procedure, how can they get brighter and whiter teeth or how effective their whitening toothpaste are!It has certainly become a trend!

So let's put things into perspective..

What is teeth whitening/ bleaching?

So, a professional teeth whitening /bleaching is a procedure that is carried out by the dentist in the dental office.

It involves the use of carbamide peroxide(hydrogen peroxide) in varying concentrations depending on each individual case.

What is carbamide peroxide?

Carbamide peroxide is a more stable version of hydrogen peroxide which is the chief ingredient/compound that is used for the bleaching or teeth whitening procedure.

Carbamide peroxide A.K.A urea peroxide or percarbamide , contains urea (65%) and hydrogen peroxide(35%).

How does it work?

Hydrogen peroxide works by releasing nascent oxygen which breaks the alkene double carbon bonds present on the teeth,which is responsible for the yellow/brown discoloration of teeth and also has mechanical cleansing action on the teeth.

Hence,in effect,eliminating the discoloration and giving a brighter shade to the teeth.

How is this procedure carried out?

Now the procedure can be carried out in various ways depending on what suits you and is recommended by your dentist!

IN OFFICE BLEACHING:

In office bleach is the procedure that's carried out in the dental office (in literal sense!)

A relatively higher concentration of carbamide peroxide about 25-35% is used in varying time cycles spread over multiple visits depending on the individual as results may vary.

Along with this , activation with light(photocatalytic) or heat ( thermocatalytic) can be used which fastens the process.

HOME BLEACHING:

Another treatment plan for bleaching is the home bleaching kits.

A set of customized trays for the upper and lower teeth are made after impressions are taken for the same by the dentist.

A kit consisting of the trays and the whitening paste which contains about 10-15% of carbamide peroxide (which is relatively lower than the in-office bleach concentration)

is given to the patient for the bleaching treatment at home and is to be used as frequently as advised by the dentist.

It may usually take a few weeks and regular use to get an effective result (varying about 2-6 weeks).

Bleaching is a sensitive procedure and may potentially harm your teeth and gums hence, it needs to be carried out under the supervision of the dentist.

There are a few self home bleaching kits available in the market too, but I wouldn't particularly recommend it ,as it has standard trays which aren't customized according to every patient's jaw, and hence there is always a risk of the whitening paste leaking out of the tray onto the gums, which may possibly harm the gums, cause irritation or inflammation.

COMBINATION OF IN-OFFICE AND HOME BLEACH

In a few cases a combination of in -office bleach and home bleach is carried out simultaneously to get the best results.

WALKING BLEACH

when one tooth in particular is discolored after trauma or the root canal treatment, the bleaching agent may be placed inside the tooth for a few weeks to get effective results, this is know as the walking bleach technique. 

Who is suitable for the treatment?

Your dentist will evaluate your teeth, gums and your overall oral health to determine if you are a suitable candidate for the bleaching procedure.

Patients with mild sensitivity are usually advised home bleaching treatment as a lower concentration of carbamide peroxide is used than the in-office bleach.

Patients with much higher sensitivity are generally advised against the treatment.

 Possible side effects:

There might be mild sensitivity of the teeth after the treatment which usually subsides after a few days .

Rarely, exposure of the gums to the whitening paste may occur, which might temporarily make the gums appear white or blanched.

POTASSIUM NITRATE is a de-sensitizing agent that works well to reduce the sensitivity of the teeth , is present in anti-sensitivity toothpastes and is often prescribed to the patients having sensitivity after the treatment.

SODIUM FLUORIDE is another active ingredient in anti-sensitivity toothpastes which acts as a de-sensitizing agent.

There are a lot more factors and detail which are taken into consideration by the dentist before commencing a treatment.

Hence, its always advised to undergo the treatment by an expert professional.

Over-The-Counter products(OTC)

There are various whitening toothpastes and whitening strips that are available in the market.

Do these work?

Yes, they do give your teeth a brighter look, maybe about 1 shade brighter.

It acts only on the stains that are present on the surface of the teeth i.e extrinsic stains (coffee, tea, wine stains) and does not act on the stains present under the surface i.e intrinsic stains, and so would be ineffective for some people.

It usually takes a much longer time to be effective and the results are much milder than that with the professional bleaching.

Again, prolonged use might abrade your enamel and may cause some sensitivity in some individuals.

what whitening toothpastes should i prefer?

This is a very debatable topic, there are whitening toothpastes that have variant active ingredients such as charcoal,blue covarine, hydrogen peroxide or microbeads and the results may vary from individual to individual.

A few studies suggest that all whitening toothpastes are effective in teeth whitening as apposed to a normal non-whitening toothpaste and microbeads turned out to be the most effective agent in whitening, followed by hydrogen peroxide and blue covarine.

Sharing a study regarding the effectiveness of whitening toothpastes:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4058574/ 

So essentially, in conclusion, you would need your dentist to diagnose whether the stains present on your teeth are intrinsic or extrinsic ,the overall health of your teeth and gums, and then forge a plan for teeth whitening! And hopefully not end up like ross!

Just kidding.(or maybe not!)

At Smiles Ever After, we have our expert dentists carrying out a professional, safe, in-office teeth whitening procedure after a thorough check up and diagnosis.

For teeth whitening appointments, contact us at 8976825140

or visit us at f-1,105, janjira, Sarova Towers, Thakur village, Kandivali east, Mumbai 400101.