Fabulous week to all!
If you have been following us through the week you will be aware that we are talking about all things related to TEETH WHITENING. Today we are going to look at the different ways we can whiten teeth and how the process works.
All teeth whitening techniques work in one of two ways:
1. NON-BLEACHING procedures- These work by a physical and/or chemical action to help remove only SURFACE stains. All toothpastes rely on mild abrasion to remove surface stains from teeth. Whitening toothpastes have specialised chemical or abrasive polishing agents that provide additional stain removal.
A professional cleaning by your dentist also removes superficial stains through the use of specialized instruments that break up the stains/tartar build up on the surface of teeth in combination with polishing agents.
2. BLEACHING procedures- This specifically relates to the use of agents that must contain HYDROGEN PEROXIDE or CARBAMIDE PEROXIDE to remove both deeper and surface stains.
We are going to focus the rest of our discussion on BLEACHING procedures.
So how does BLEACHING work?
When a bleaching product is applied to the tooth surface, it breaks down into water and oxygen molecules. The oxygen molecules then penetrate through the enamel porosities and attack the discoloured molecules in your teeth, breaking the bonds that hold them together. These shorter molecules become colourless and are then removed naturally from the tooth by saliva.
NOW the most important thing to understand here which will help later when we talk about what system works best for different situations is this…that the intensity and effectiveness of bleaching is related to the number of oxygen molecules available or the CONCENTRATION and the length of TIME they are in contact with the tooth.
There are essentially three methods of teeth BLEACHING and these are:
a) In Office-Whitening- this is done by your dentist, usually in one session and contains a very high concentration of hydrogen peroxide.
b) Take Home Whitening- this is where your dentist will make you custom bleaching trays and choose an appropriate bleaching gel that you use over a period of time. These usually contain low to moderate levels of the active ingredient.
c) Over The Counter (OTC) products e.g include whitening pens, strips and now toothpastes that you can purchase at pharmacies and supermarkets. These contain very low concentrations of whitening material.
Our next post will focus more on the specifics of each of these methods. If you are enjoying our posts please LIKE, FOLLOW & SHARE
