 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
TEETH WHITENING REASONS FOR WHITENING YOUR TEETH:
In addition, there are variables such as the type of discolouration that affects your teeth, the degree to which you follow our instructions, and the overall condition of your teeth that can affect the outcome of treatment. CANDIDATES FOR BLEACHING: TYPES OF BLEACHING -Sonic Whitening: We are one of the first practices in the UK to introduce the new and improved tooth whitening system, Ultrasonic. The Ultrasonic tooth whitening treatment is proving to be extremely popular. We have had fantastic results, with patients reporting the procedure to be painless, with no post-sensitivity. It is a very efficient way to have your teeth whitened. The whitening procedure usually involves 2 appointments which are 1-2 weeks apart. The first appointment lasts for approximately 40 minutes. The appointment includes the use of an electric shade guide to record your pre-treatment shade. This is then followed by two 12 minute whitening sessions. This involves wearing upper and lower rubber trays with a comfortable amount of gel in them. We give you a break in between these two sessions, these sessions are usually when patients catch up with the gossip from the surgery magazines. At the end of the whitening procedure we will record the post-treatment shade and let you know how many shades your teeth have lightened. The appointment 1-2 weeks later is a shorter appointment to give the teeth another whitening session, to boost the brightness. We have found arranging the appointment gives the patient a great result. At the second appointment we will also give you a home whitening kit, this can be used to brighten the teeth further down the track or before a sepecial event. - Power Bleaching: This process can be done in one visit but may require two or more visits depending on how your teeth respond to the bleech. Each appointment takes about 1 hour. Due to the strong bleach used in this procedure, your gums need to be protected by either a resin or rubber shield. Then the bleach is applied and allowed to penetrate your teeth to lighten them. Usually, a special high intensity light will be used to further activate the bleach. Power bleaching can also be done to lighten a tooth that has had root canal treatment. In this case, the tooth is bleached both from the inside and the outside. The advantages of power bleaching include us doing all the work for you and less overall time spent bleaching your teeth. The disadvantages include the normal inconvenience of any dental treatment such as having to keep your mouth open for the duration of the appointment and the increased costs as compared to home bleaching. - Home Bleaching: This process can be done anywhere - not just at home. In involves wearing a custom-made bleaching tray that looks like a thin, transparent night guard which is filled with a mild bleaching gel. You need to wear the bleach-filled tray a specified number of hours per day (per our instructions) for approximately 2-4 weeks. We check your bleaching progress once a week during the period you are using the bleaching gel. The advantages of home bleaching include convenience and possibly less cost. The disadvantages include the inconvenience of wearing the bleaching tray and the results depend upon your consistent use of the bleach. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES: - Keeping your Appointments: When power bleaching is done, there seems to be more lightening when your appointments (if more than one) are spaced 1-2 weeks apart. If more than two weeks pass between appointments, some momentum is lost and the bleaching results may take longer to achieve. - Wearing your bleaching tray: If you choose home bleaching, it will only be effective if you conscientiously wear the bleeching tray for the prescribed number of hours per day, preferably during the night. The amount of whitening varies with the individual. Most patients achieve a change within 2-5 weeks. Reduce the amount of tea, coffee, red wine, berries or curries during or after treatment for at least 1 month. Please use the toothpaste supplied with the kit to clean your teeth during treatment. It is advisable not to smoke during the course of bleaching treatment and for at least 5-8 weeks afterwards. Ideally it is best to stop smoking for at least 3 weeks before starting the treatment. - Communication: If you experience severe discomfort or any other problems, contact us immediately.
Do not use the bleaching treatment if you are pregnant. There have been no adverse reactions, but long term clinical effects are unknown. - Tooth Sensitivity: During the first 3-4 days following bleaching, many patients experience sensitivity. This sensitivity is usually mild if your teeth are not normally sensitive. With power bleaching, this sensitivity will usually subside with 1-2 days. With home bleaching, it may be necessary to reduce the number of hours you wear the bleaching tray or stop using it for a short time to resolve the sensitivity. Follow instructions as directed if the situation arises. If your teeth are normally sensitive, bleaching may make your teeth much more sensitive for an extended period of time. Under these circumstances, you may choose to delay bleaching until we are able to complete desensitisation procedures. If your teeth are sensitive after bleaching, a mild analgesic such as Tylenol or Advil will usually be effective to make you more comfortable until your teeth return to normal. - Gum Irritation: Bleaching may cause temporary inflammation of your gums. With power bleaching, this can be the result of very small amounts of bleach leaking under the gum protection. A burning sensation on your gums may also occur. This is a minor problem and will subside in a few days. With home bleaching, irritation can result from using the bleaching tray for too many hours when you first start bleaching or using the bleaching tray too many hours in a row without a break. It may be necessary for you to reduce the number of hours you are wearing the bleaching tray or stop using it for a short time to resolve these gum problems. The bleaching tray may also overlap your gums, allowing the bleach to contact your gums for an extended period. This problem can easily be resolved by us trimming the tray slightly short of your gums. - Sore Throat: Most home bleaches are very thick and will not run down your throat if you overload the bleaching tray with home bleach. However, if your bleach is lower in viscosity, the excess may go down your throat and cause soreness. This soreness will also subside in several days, assuming you spit out the excess bleach instead of swallowing it. - Leaking Fillings or Cavities: Most bleaching is indicated for the outside of the teeth (unless you already had a root canal). However, if you have any fillings that are leaking and allow the bleach to get into the inside of the teeth, damage to the nerves of the teeth could result. In this case, the fillings need to be redone prior to the bleaching. In addition, open cavities can also allow bleach to reach the nerves of the teeth. They should also be filled before bleaching. - Cervical Abrasion/Erosion: These conditions affect the roots of the teeth when gums recede. They are the grooves, notches or depressions where the teeth meet the gums that look darker than the rest of the teeth. They look darker because there is no enamel in those areas. Even if these areas are not sensitive, bleach can potentially penetrate the teeth and damage the nerves. These areas should not be bleached and should be filled after the bleaching is complete. - Root Resorption: This is a condition where the root starts to dissolve, either from the inside or outside. Although the cause of resorption has not been determined, studies have shown that its incidence is higher in teeth that have had a root canal and are then bleached. - Effects on Fillings: Even though open cavities should be filled or badly leaking fillings should be refilled prior to bleaching, home bleaching can cause tooth-coloured fillings to become softer and may make then more susceptible to staining. Therefore, you should be prepared to have any fillings in your front teeth replaced after bleaching. In addition, since bleaching will normally lighten teeth, but not fillings, you may need to have your fillings replaced anyway, so that they will match your newly whitened teeth. As with any treatment there are benefits and risks. The benefit is that teeth can be whitened fairly quickly in a simple manner. The risk involves the continued use of the peroxide solution for an extended period of time. Research indicates that using peroxide solution to bleach teeth is safe. There is new research indicating the safety for use on the soft tissues (gums, cheek, tongue, throat). The long term effects are as yet unknown. Although the extent of the risk is unknown, acceptance of treatment means acceptance of risk. COMPLETION OF TREATMENT After the desired amount of tooth whitening has been achieved, you will be requested to return the bleaching trays to your dentist. It may be necessary to do a top-up treatment in 18-24 months depending on the amount of staining. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
GENERAL INFORMATION:
