Cosmetic dentistry. Whitening teeth.
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic treatment widely used to restore the natural colour of the teeth or to improve the enamel appearance, as many people believe a beautiful smile is something very important in our society. Along with straight teeth, that have an important role for bones health, white teeth can have an important role from a mental point of view, as they have a great visual impact on other people, and are believed to be very useful in social and work relationship.
Dental whitening. The white colour.
The colour of the teeth is a result of inner and external factors: the thickness of the enamel, the dentine, use of antibiotics, developmental disorders, tooth decay, exposure to too much fluoride as a child; it can also depend on food, coffee, wine, food with tannins, tea, or on tobacco. For these reasons is always very important to follow an accurate oral hygiene every day. Teeth can became darker also as a consequence of a trauma or of aging.
Professional teeth whitening.
Teeth whitening, or bleaching, is a cosmetic procedure that can be done in two ways, by the dentist, so called in-office teeth whitening, or at home. The first method is safe, as the dentist can check teeth health, protect gums from the bleaching agents and to manage whitening consequences, as tooth sensitivity. Dentist or dental hygienist first make a clean of the teeth, then apply a whitening agent and finally the patient has to follow a take-home whitening, that is generally a part of the program. A special light or laser can be used to enhance the action of the whitening agent. Usually, in-office treatment affects only the front eight teeth.
Best teeth whitening products.
At home there are different products usually sold without dentist presciption, they are for example whitening strips, paint-on tooth gel, mouth trays with gel, whitening toothpaste, and even whitening gum; these remedies are considered safe, but is always better to be under dentist control. These products use carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide and these substances can cause gum irritations or tooth sensitivity.
Teeth whitening. Recommendations.
Teeth whitening is not recommended for pregnant women or during nursing or for people with tooth sensitivity. Patients have to remember that not all teeth may respond in the same way, so maybe whitening couldn’t work on ceramic or porcelain crowns or veneers; also whitening may not improve the enamel of a tooth that has had root-canal treatment and in this cases dentist could use different procedures.
