In today’s world, everyone is concerned about his smile as a bright and sparkling white smile can always create the best first impression. Tooth whitening is an important treatment in Dentistry, especially in cosmetic dentistry. Tooth whitening is also known as dental bleaching. The demand for teeth whitening has increased as everyone across the globe wants to flaunt their pearly white teeth at every occasion.
According to FDA, teeth whitening is restoring the natural teeth color whereas teeth bleaching is all about whitening beyond the natural color of the teeth.
The color of the tooth is perfectly white during childhood and it fades away with age as the mineral content deteriorates with time. Bacterial pigments, persistent medications like tetracycline, frequent consumption of tea, coffee, and other such colored liquids can lead to fading away of natural tooth color. Apart from this, fluorosis, enamel hypoplasia, the age of the tooth and tobacco are also responsible for the deterioration of color of the tooth.
Decreasing consumption of the above elements can lead to improvement in the tooth color. Professionals use in-office techniques to produce the natural color of the tooth. This mainly includes light-accelerated bleaching and internal bleaching. In the initial stages of tooth whitening procedure, the gums and papilla i.e. gums in between the teeth are covered with a light-cured protective layer which will make sure that the soft tissues of the particular area of the mouth are not injured in any way. Now, light accelerated bleaching involves an energy source like halogen, plasma arc or LED. Amongst these, halogen is the most used energy source during the light-accelerated whitening method.
Also Read: 8 Surprising Facts About Teeth Whitening
With the advancement in the field of cosmetic dentistry, the procedure needs lesser time now – ranging from 30 minutes to maximum an hour. Apart from this internal bleaching can be done on the tooth which has undergone endodontic treatment (mainly root canal treatment). This will keep the internal structure of the tooth whiter and prevent further discoloration.
Natural methods of tooth whitening are known to us for long, having been passed down by our ancestors. Chewing gums, toothpaste, Pulp of strawberries, apples, cherries and even lemons act towards making tooth whiter than before. Apart from all these, the risk factors should also be taken into consideration while suggesting or undergoing the whitening procedures. The patient undergoing the procedure should not be less than 16 years of age as the patient might face sensitivity. Even pregnant and lactating women should avoid such procedures to avoid the side effects.
This way teeth whitening will eventually boost your self-confidence thereby helping you to improve in your personal as well as professional life.
