Dental Bleaching
Yellowed or greyed teeth may not be just from surface stains such as tobacco, coffee, and other things that we consume. Some stains may run deeper than the surface and therefore require more than just a whitening strip or toothpaste. That’s where dental bleaches come in.
Dental Bleaches
Dental bleaches are far more effective than the leading whitening strip, but as with any treatment, the results may not be exactly what the patient is looking for. Dental bleaches are also much more expensive than a whitening strip so it’s important to first go for a consultation in order to properly weigh the pros and cons of the treatment. It’s also important to mention any dental procedure that you’ve had done in the past as they may be the cause of the discolouration and the dentist will have to change their approach on how to treat it. If dental bleaching is something that will work for the patient, there are a couple different ones available.
- Vital bleaching is typically done on teeth that the dentist considers to be “alive”, meaning that they have not undergone any cosmetic or rigorous treatment in the past. Vital bleaching is also done on stains that are caused by coffee, wine, and aging.
- Non-vital bleaching is done on teeth where treatments like root canals and fillings have been done.
When the treatment has been chosen and approved, the dentist will then decide which method to use to complete the procedure. They will use the number of teeth that need to be treated, the history of the teeth, and the way that it became discolored.
For the first method, a combination of heat and light are used, as well as a special bleach that is applied to the teeth beforehand. This offers the fastest results.
The second method is wearing a custom fit mouthguard that contains the same bleach as the first method. However, these mouthguards can be taken home and worn during certain periods of the day.
Finally, the final take home method is a special toothpaste that is provided by the dentist that contains the same bleach as the previous methods.
For more information about dental bleaching and to find out what method might be right for you, please contact your dentist for a consultation to discuss your options.
