SHOULD I HAVE BLEACHING?
Our teeth lose their whiteness over the years due to the foods we eat, the things we drink (coffee, tea, wine…) and cigarette consumption. This condition can be reversed with teeth whitening. Teeth whitening is easier, more economical and more protective than porcelain veneers because the teeth are not eroded.
The color of people’s teeth is unique to the person, just like eye color and hair color, and the color can only be changed by the procedures to be applied to the teeth by a dentist. We hear a lot of complaints from many patients who come to our clinic, “No matter how often I brush my teeth, I can’t whiten them!” Our recommendation to them is teeth whitening.
There are two types of treatment methods for teeth whitening. The first is the office bleaching method, which the dentist does in his office and gives faster results, and the other is the home bleaching method, which is applied at the patient’s own home with the plaques made by your dentist. In office bleaching, photographs are taken before the patient comes to the clinic and the color of the existing teeth is recorded. In office type whitening, the process is completed in a single session, and the session can be repeated if desired. For this purpose, the gums are isolated and a special whitening gel is applied on the teeth. Then, special light sources such as LASER or halogen, LED are used to activate the gel. Home bleaching is also done under the supervision of a dentist. An impression is taken from the patient at the first appointment, and then a transparent plaque is prepared to be placed on the teeth with this measurement. This plaque, which is used by the person whitening at home, ensures the application of the bleaching agent to the teeth of the patient and the protection of the gums.
There may be very little sensitivity after teeth whitening, and this usually goes away within 24 hours. To eliminate this, fluoride can be applied by the dentist at the end of the whitening process. The effect of teeth whitening usually varies between 1-2 years. If the person does not smoke heavily and does not consume foods that will color the teeth, this period will be longer.
Sometimes the teeth that have undergone root canal treatment and lost their vitality may be darker in color than other teeth in the mouth, which gives an aesthetically bad appearance. In such cases, it is possible to lighten the color of the tooth with only the whitening (devital bleaching) to be applied to this tooth. For this, a whitening substance is placed inside the tooth and this substance is changed at intervals of 1-2 days until the desired whiteness is achieved.
Again, one of our patients’ questions is whether teeth whitening can be done during pregnancy. Although there is no evidence that the gels used in teeth whitening harm the baby in the womb, it is still not recommended to be used during pregnancy.
If we summarize the points to be considered after teeth whitening, it is necessary to stay away from teeth-coloring foods such as tea, coffee, cigarettes, red wine, cherry juice, cola after bleaching. Paying attention to general oral care will also prevent recurrence of discoloration.