All you need to Know about Teeth Whitening

For many years teeth whitening treatments have been effective, especially for patients who have healthy teeth without any restorations; that is teeth lacking fillings and healthy gums. Individuals with yellow tones to their teeth respond best to teeth bleaching or even laser teeth whitening. However these treatments are not recommended or might be less successful in the following conditions. Teeth whitening treatments are not recommended in children under the age of sixteen. This is because the pulp chamber (nerve of the tooth) is enlarged until this age.

Teeth whitening in this situation can irritate the pulp or cause it to become sensitive. These teeth whitening procedures are also not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. Individuals with sensitive teeth and gums, receding or defective restorations, should consult with their dentist prior to using teeth whitening procedures. Anyone allergic to peroxide, which is the whitening agent, should not use a bleaching treatment. Individuals with gum disease or teeth with worn out enamel should not undergo teeth whitening procedures, because the bleach whitening solution can penetrate into any existing decay and the inner areas of teeth, which causes sensitivity. Teeth whitening procedures will not work on exposed tooth roots as they lack an enamel layer. Tooth-coloured fillings and resin composite materials used in dental restorations (crowns, veneers, bonding, bridges) never whiten. Using a teeth whitening treatment on teeth with restorations will result in uneven whitening, making the teeth with restorations appear lighter than those without. Any laser teeth whitening procedure ought to be done prior to the placement of composite filling, bonding, veneers, crowns, dentures or porcelain restorations, in order to best match the degree of whitening to your new teeth colour.

A minimum of two weeks following a teeth whitening procedure should be observed before restorations are done. This will allow enough time for the enamel to remineralise and optimize the bonding strength. Tooth-coloured fillings need to be replaced after laser teeth whitening is complete. People with numerous dental restorations are better off using bonding veneers and crowns, rather than using the teeth whitening system as it may result in uneven whitening. Endeavor to contact your dentist for the strategy that may best fit you.

Individuals who expect their teeth to be a new "blinding white" may be disappointed with their results. Smokers need to be aware that results will be limited until they abstain from continued smoking, particularly during the dental whitening process. A healthy indication as to what reasonable degree of whiteness can be obtained from laser teeth whitening, which gives a natural appearance to a person’s teeth, is a slightly whiter color than the whites of your eyes.

Yellowish teeth respond well to bleaching, brownish teeth respond less well and grayish or purple stained teeth may not respond at all to bleaching. Blue-gray staining caused by tetracycline is harder to whiten and may require up to six months of home treatments but only one or two in-office appointments to successfully lighten them with laser teeth whitening.

David Murphy is the author of this article on Teeth Whitening Dublin. Find more information on Laser Teeth Whitening here.