Teeth whitening is among the most widespread dental processes done every year. According to the Australian Dental Association 2020 survey, 1 in 5 Australians chooses to bleach their teeth. The statistics are not that shocking because who doesn’t love a dazzling, white smile?
But one way or another, our teeth become dull, yellow, and brownish over time. Your lifestyle, food and beverage preferences, and even certain medications can stain your teeth. It can end up making you reluctant to smile freely.
Luckily, the teeth whitening procedure can help restore your teeth to their former glory and make your smile more radiant and confident. However, before getting a professional teeth whitening procedure, it’s best to learn how you can achieve the desired results.
Professional Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening, also known as teeth bleaching by many people, is any process that can make your teeth appear whiter. You get it with the help of bleaching products containing peroxides, such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) or sometimes non-bleaching products.
The teeth whitening procedure removes the surface and deep stains on your teeth, making them appear lighter than their natural shade.
Only a dentist can perform professional teeth whitening, which takes only about an hour. If you have yellow discolouration, teeth whitening will be most effective. But for brown or grey discoloured teeth, it might be less effective.
However, it would always be helpful if you remembered that teeth whitening procedures could cause some sensitivity, depending on the type and concentration of the teeth whitening product used.
Teeth Whitening Procedure
Every professional teeth whitening procedure starts with a dental consultation. Since everybody might not be a good candidate for teeth whitening, your dentist will perform a dental exam to find if you’re suitable.
After the dental examination, the following steps are necessary for the teeth whitening procedure:
- The dentist instructs you to sit comfortably in the dental chair and choose any show you like to watch.
- Your dentist uses the shade guide to determine your teeth shade and takes pictures.
- After that, your teeth will be given a polish with flour-based pumice, followed by rinsing and suction.
- Next, your dentist will insert a lip/cheek retractor into your mouth to help keep the lips and cheeks away during the procedure.
- Your dentist will cover your gums around your front teeth with a gel to isolate and protect the gums from the teeth bleaching chemicals. This gel is called a gingival barrier.
- Then a special curing light is applied for 10 to 20 seconds to set and harden the gingival barrier.
- Now, it’s time for the whitening process, which involves applying hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide gel to your teeth. The gel contains a 15% to 35% concentration of hydrogen peroxide or 16% to 35% concentration of carbamide peroxide to penetrate the outer layer of teeth and break apart the stains via oxidation.
- Your dentist will leave the gel on for 8 to 15 minutes per application.
- After that, the dentist removes the gel with gauze and cotton rolls.
- The dentist will then reapply a fresh gel coat as often as necessary within 40- 45 minutes.
- After the last application, the gel is taken off, and the gingival barrier is removed.
- Finally, your dentist will record the final shade of your teeth and take the last photos where your teeth will look whiter and brighter.
Do you want a whiter smile?
At Aspendale Gardens Dental Care, we provide you with the best teeth whitening procedure and treatment at affordable costs. All teeth whitening products are safe and approved by the Therapeutic Guidelines of Australia. Plus! You’ll also get a Professional Take Home Whitening Kit to help you maintain your sparkling, white smile.
