What Is Tooth Bleaching?

22 May 2019
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Stained teeth may seem like an aesthetic problem but for those who have this issue, it can have a significant negative effect on their quality of life. Many people have had to deal with stained teeth at some point in their lives and this issue can be caused by anything from a sauce-heavy diet to prescription medication.

This is where tooth bleaching comes in. Tooth bleaching is a form of tooth whitening that has assisted many people with stained teeth to regain a healthy white smile. Is this a procedure that you should consider?

How is Tooth Bleaching Done?

To bleach stained teeth, the teeth must be exposed to a bleaching agent. In most cases, the bleaching agent is a product that contains a certain amount of hydrogen peroxide. In almost all cases, the tooth bleaching procedure has to be repeated a number of times before the results become visible. The concentration of the bleaching agent is key in determining how many applications will be needed before results are seen.

However, it's important to note that the lower concentrations of the bleaching agent are for safety reasons.

Is Tooth Bleaching Always Effective?

For many of the people who will try out tooth bleaching, the results will be exactly what they wanted or even better. This is because many people are only looking to whiten teeth that have shallow staining which is usually the result of eating certain foods or regularly drinking red wine.

However, deeper staining creates a much more significant challenge. Medication, cigarette smoking and poor oral hygiene can result in staining that's much deeper inside the teeth. It becomes much harder to attain the results needed when you're trying to get rid of these deep stains. It will most likely take specialized treatment to remove the deeper stains.

How to Get Started with Tooth Bleaching

If you have one or more stained teeth or just teeth that have lost some of their whiteness, there are a few approaches that you can take to get your brighter smile.

You can start off with over-the-counter tooth bleaching solutions. However, it takes a lot longer to get results like this. A better alternative is to talk to your dentist about a custom at-home whitening kit. These are made using a mold of your teeth and are more effective. If you want even faster results, you can also opt for an in-office whitening when you visit your dentist.

Contact a professional like George Kourakin to learn more.