Have your teeth yellowed over time, so that you are no longer satisfied with their appearance? Would you like to have a healthy, good-looking smile? No need to worry: bleaching can give you a bright, handsome smile once again, leaving you feeling secure and self-confident. If you have any doubts or misgivings on the subject of teeth bleaching, read the following article and we will help you gain a better understanding of which approach is best for you…
What is the purpose of teeth bleaching?
Tooth colour varies from one person to the next, being determined by our genetic heritage. But the colour of our teeth can change over time, due to a number of causes, first and foremost getting older, but our teeth can also be discoloured by food, beverages, smoking, alcohol and certain antibiotics.
But what really happens when teeth change colour? Contrary to what most people think, it is not the enamel that gives teeth their colour, but the dentin underneath the enamel, meaning the substance between the enamel and the pulp of the tooth. The enamel has no colour of its own, being translucent, so what we see is the colouring of the dentin, a substance that thickens over time and tends to grow darker.
With teeth bleaching, modern dentistry is able to restore the natural colour of teeth or, if we choose, leave them looking “Hollywood” white, without any stains or discolouring.
By now teeth bleaching is a treatment that practically everyone can afford, and it can play a very important role in social life as well. A healthy, good-looking smile makes us more confident when dealing with others, allowing us to face life’s difficulties with less worry.
Techniques
Quite often oral hygiene is not enough to restore the natural colour of teeth, and so one of the different techniques of teeth bleaching is utilised. There are essentially two categories of approaches: professional teeth bleaching, performed in the dentist’s office, and the “do-it-yourself” technique, which can be carried out at home.
In both cases, the teeth should be examined by a dentist before any type of treatment is begun.
Professional teeth bleaching takes place in one or two sessions, as a gel containing a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth, after which special lamps are used to allow the gel to penetrate the teeth and whiten them.
The treatment can be performed at home as well, using the strips that contain the same bleaching gel and are applied to the teeth for a number of hours each day, for a few days in a row. In this case, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is much lower than the level used in the professional treatment.
“Do-it-yourself” bleaching offers the advantage of lower cost, though the results are obviously inferior to those obtained with the professional treatment. The home technique takes a number of days to complete, and the results last for 1-6 months; the professional treatment, on the other hand, is completed in 1-2 sessions, and the whitening can last for up to 3 years.
The best possible result is provided by ceramic dental veneers, which can give you a perfect smile that lasts a lifetime.
