Why do teeth discolour?
Everyone’s teeth are unique and discolour and stain in different ways. The discolouration or staining of a person’s tooth is typically caused by:
How does tooth whitening work?
There are multiple types of tooth whitening solutions available. There are essentially three categories that these fit into including pharmacy available products, Take Home (from dentist) packages and In-dentist clinic applied solutions.
When a whitening product is applied to the tooth, it breaks down into water and oxygen ions. The oxygen ions enter the enamel and attack the long stain molecules to effectively break them down to be short and colourless. These short and colourless molecules are then naturally removed from the tooth by saliva. The intensity of whitening is related to the number of oxygen ions available and the length of time they are on the tooth.
Whitening Strengths
The main difference between these categories of products is the amount of hydrogen peroxide, which is the active ingredient they contain. Carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide over a period of time, but at a lesser strength of active ingredients.
Products can range from as little as 3% all the way up to 37.5%. The amount of active ingredient dictates the strength of the product and the duration required to apply it to your tooth to achieve the desired whitening effect.
What do you need to know?
Generally, the more active ingredients the product contains the more effective it will be, however above a certain strength requires a dentist to apply and remove the whitening product. In-dentist clinic strength products contain comparatively more active ingredient to achieve the desired whitening effect. These products are administered by dentists to ensure patient safety during the application process.
How Do I Determine which whitening treatment is best for me?
In chair whitening offers fast, effective results. Sit back in comfort and let us do the work. Your dentist applies a whitening gel in conjunction with a laser to accelerate the results and chemically lighten your tooth enamel. In under an hour your whitening treatment is complete and you are free to go on your way.
If you suffer from sensitive teeth or gums, your dentist may recommend take home whitening treatment.
Take home whitening is convenient, cost-effective and less likely to cause teeth or gum sensitivity. During your treatment, the dentist will take impressions of your teeth to create a custom-fitted plastic tray to use at home. You will be supplied with a professional strength whitening gel suitable for your teeth, along with a demonstration on how to use the kit in the comfort of your own home to achieve the best possible results.
Although over-the-counter whitening kits are available at chemists, they are generally not as safe or effective as professional in-chair whitening. It is safer for you to whiten your teeth under the supervision of a qualified dentist to ensure your individual oral health needs are met before whitening takes place.
Professional in-chair whitening gel has a stronger concentration of whitening agents, making it more effective than over-the counter-brands.
Over-the-counter trays can also be ill-fitting which can affect the success of the gel and they can fail to protect the soft tissues in your mouth.
