Bright teeth have a positive effect on the aesthetic appearance and make a face look young and vital.

The most common causes for tooth discoloration are often external stain particles in food and beverages such as coffee, tea, red wine and / or tobacco. Though, also internal influences can be held responsible for the discoloration, such as medications (including penicillin) and trace elements (including too much fluoride). Ultimately, the individual tooth colour gets darker as we age.

 

The bleaching procedure brightens up unsightly colour pigments in the enamel. Depending on the cause and intensity of the tooth discoloration, different techniques are available.

Professional dental cleaning with polishing pastes or air polishing devices only has a very superficial effect and is almost completely ineffective with tooth discolorations caused by non-vital tooth nerves.

 

Before bleaching discoloured vital teeth, the tooth surface must be thoroughly cleaned. In addition, the gums must be in good health.

If tooth-coloured composite fillings are already present, they will not be bleached. A replacement of these fillings is aesthetically beneficial after the bleaching treatment, at least in the front tooth area.

 

LASER bleaching:

• LASER acts as an activator, enhancing the bleaching effect of a special gel.

• In general, a single procedure is sufficient to achieve desired effect.

• LASER bleaching procedure allows you to have a whiter smile just in 45 minutes.

• Staining food & beverages and smoking should be avoided for 48-72 hours after the procedure.

• LASER bleaching is superior to in-office bleaching with other light sources (bleaching lamps) because the LASER beam is precisely aimed at the photo-activated gel. While the light spectrum of the bleaching lamps is broad (area), the activation is uneven and dental tissue tends to heat up. For this reason, LASER bleaching is the fastest and most effective dental bleaching method.

 

NOTE: the bleaching result is individual from patient to patient, regardless of the method used.

 

Side effects of bleaching:

• Gum irritation or increased sensitivity of the teeth or tooth necks; these usually subside when the bleach is discontinued or can be alleviated by a (fluoride) gel if necessary.

• Caution is required with tooth decay; first the tooth should be provided with a filling.

• Only natural teeth tolerate the bleaching effect; dental crowns, veneers, composite fillings, ceramic fillings, etc. do not change the colour.

 

Please note:

*** Teeth whitening should not be carried out before the age of 16, as the enamel and dentin are not yet fully developed.

***Pregnant women and breastfeeding women should not undergo bleaching for safety reasons.

***Carious tooth defects, insufficient restorations (leaky crown and filling edges), general enamel formation disorders (e.g., amelogenesis imperfecta- genetically caused tooth enamel formation disorders), exposed tooth necks should be treated in advance.

 

What if the teeth later become a little darker again?

If the teeth have been professionally whitened, they usually remain white for two to five years. They gradually become darker again through stimulants such as tea, coffee, cola, red wine and/or nicotine.

 

Bleaching non-vital teeth (internal bleaching):

In most cases of root canal treatments or dental accidents, blood components and their decomposition products usually discolour the tooth greyish after some time.

When non-vital teeth are bleached, the tooth is opened and in the hollow upper nerve chamber a cotton pellet is placed, soaked with hydrogen peroxide solution (for 3-5 days), which bleaches the tooth internally; this procedure can be repeated up to 3 times.

 

If you wish, we can also help you achieve a more brilliant smile with “delicate tooth jewellery”.