Whitening teeth

Are you confused by all the ways teeth can be whitened? We certainly get a lot of questions from befuddled patients!

There are no real controls on teeth whitening products so we recommend only to use products that are endorsed by the profession because not all are safe to use on ones teeth. It must be remembered that teeth are sensitive structures there for incorrect products or incorrect concentrations can possibly cause tooth sensitivity or possibly permanent nerve damage. Some whitening products can even dissolve enamel off teeth.

Staining on our teeth can be divided into two categories; extrinsic which is staining on the surfaces of our teeth which can be removed by a hygienist such as nicotine, calculus, plaque and food colourings or intrinsic staining's which are staining within the tooth structure; caused by stains entering the enamel of our teeth such as food colourings aberrations caused by long term antibiotic usage, nicotine and some genetic disorders.

If one is wanting the best and safest result a dental professional will ascertain if extrinsic stains need to be removed by a hygienist, whether whitening will actually achieve the desired result as white fillings and root canal treated teeth may not respond to whitening, to assess the most suitable technique to use to whiten teeth, ascertain the sensitivity possibilities, to prescribe the most suitable whitening products and to recommend products such as tooth mousse to use after whitening sessions to condition enamel and to reduce post whitening sensitivity.

At Dental on Raffles we recommend using a home care whitening tray system which involves having custom made trays that fit close to the tooth structures with custom made areas to hold whitening gel against the enamel surfaces of the teeth. This is important as it holds whitening gel where it's needed and can chemically do its job without been diluted by saliva or possibly burning the gum tissues.

The patient wears the whitening trays for 2-3 weeks for 30mins-1 hour each day to get optimal results. Usually teeth achieve 2 shades lighter on our shade guide. Patients are advised to avoid staining foods for 2 hours following a whitening session. Over this time the body natural salivary minerals will continue to natural close the enamel matrix completing the whitening for that day.

With careful diagnosis fitting whitening trays, correct chemical products and appropriate concentrations safe and successful teeth whitening can be achieved.

For more information contact us at
Dental on Raffles
06 8356253
106 Raffles street
Napier