Hi, girls!
A bright white smile is what most people find especially beautiful.
That was the case with the ancient Romans, which is why they had their teeth rubbed in with urea. And in the Middle Ages, when barbers used «aqua fortis» - a mixture of nitric acid that has a corrosive effect.
How does bleaching work today, are there side effects and how long do the teeth stay white? The most important answers you will find here.
Is bleaching dangerous?
As early as 1895, the American Journal of Dental Science mentioned how to whiten teeth with hydrogen peroxide. This substance we use today for the bleaching (we also disinfect wounds and bleach our hair with it).
The medical whitening of the teeth has long been tested and scientifically well documented. If carried out properly, only one side effect is to be expected: in the short term, it may be that the teeth are more sensitive to cold and heat. At the latest after two to three days after completing the bleaching this is over.
When bleaching, the enamel becomes slightly less resistant to abrasion. After five to ten days, however, the effect disappears, as scientific studies show.
Why do teeth change color?
Teeth naturally acquire a brownish-orange hue and become darker over time. In addition, pigments of certain stimulants penetrate into the white tooth enamel and deposit themselves.
These include tobacco, coffee, tea, red wine, saffron . Even antibiotics can cause tooth discoloration. And sometimes tooth staining is genetic .
Avitale ("dead", not intact) teeth are often discolored by degradation products of the blood from the pulp, which penetrates into the smallest channels of the tooth hard substance (enamel, dentin and root cementum). Also, materials that have been used to fill the root canals discolor the visible tooth crown.
May I drink coffee during bleaching?
Whitening should be done during the first two weeks of completion, avoiding tobacco and strong coloring foods.
How long do the teeth stay white?
The bleaching usually remains visible for three to five years . However, it depends heavily on the eating and toothbrushing habits.
How does bleaching work?
Irrespective of the method, carbamide peroxide, which consists of carbamide and hydrogen peroxide, is always present. Hydrogen peroxide decolorizes the color pigments produced by tooth staining without removing them from the enamel. The carbamide in turn releases the hydrogen peroxide slowly.
What methods are there?
First and foremost, the dentist checks the condition of the teeth and gums. This includes distinguishing between vital (intact) and avital (dead) teeth. Using a color scale, he also notes the original shade of the teeth.
For vital teeth, the following whitening methods are possible:
- Freely available bleaching materials that you use on your own. Brush them on the teeth, stick them on with strips or wear them on the teeth with prefabricated rails. This method bleaches less than the alternatives. Above all, it is difficult to achieve a consistent result - especially in the interdental spaces.
- In the method known as home bleaching , the dentist makes a customized, thin plastic splint. These fill up with carbamide peroxide gel at home and wear one to two in the evening or overnight. In general, the desired lightening is achieved if you do this over two weeks every evening.
- The "in-office treatment" takes place in the dental practice. Depending on the desired effect, a gel with significantly higher concentration is used in up to four sessions of 20 to 60 minutes ("Power Bleaching"). To release the hydrogen peroxide faster, special lamps are used to heat the gel. The occurring concentration of hydrogen peroxide can be quite aggressive. Therefore, the gums are covered with a protection.
Discoloration in avital teeth can only be removed by the dentist. It provides access to the root canal, introduces a bleach into its upper part (sodium perborate and superoxol). Then he closes the tooth provisionally again. This insert must be replaced once a week until the desired color is achieved. In America, this comparatively slow method is called walking-bleach.
Hope, you found this helpful.
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