Teeth whitening

It is a clinical procedure to whiten yellowed, darkened and stained teeth by the action of bacteria or pigments from natural or artificial foods.

There are two forms of whitening – homemade, in which, as the name implies, the patient applies the product at home under the guidance of the dentist and that which is performed in the office and consists of placing a substance on the patient’s teeth and applying it on laser.

First of all, an assessment should be made to see if there are contraindications, such as exposed roots, cavities.

Both methods of tooth whitening are effective, but the choice varies from patient to patient. Sometimes, for better results, your dentist may indicate the two together: home and professional.

Although tooth whitening is a widely used technique, not everyone can do it. Therefore, it is necessary to look for a professional who will evaluate each case. Contraindications to tooth whitening include: pregnant and lactating women; people with tooth sensitivity or gingival irritation; patients who have had chemotherapy and/or radiation recently; people with many restorations on their teeth; under 18.

Temporary sensitivity to cold and bleeding gums are transient complications that may be present during the application of bleaching agents.

The results of the treatment, whatever the technique, are whiter teeth. The result may vary between each person, depending on a number of factors to be discussed in the consultation.

To obtain a good result and maintain it after bleaching, some basic care is necessary, namely:

• food: avoid foods that have a high acidity rate; avoid colored foods or drinks with dyes; avoid the consumption of acidic juices and soft drinks.
• hygiene: it is essential to follow the dentist’s recommendation regarding oral hygiene; wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth after consuming acidic or dyed foods
• change of habits: habits that impair the quality of teeth should be left aside, such as tobacco, frequent consumption of strongly colored foods, coffee, black tea.

There is no average durability of the results of whitening treatments since several factors, such as diet, local microbiota, and structural characteristics of the teeth interfere in the rate of yellowing and darkening of the teeth. However, although retouching is allowed each year, it is usually not necessary at intervals of less than 3 years.

No! Some homemade recipes – such as lemon, baking soda and orange peel – can even remove stains from teeth, but they also wear out the enamel, being expressly contraindicated.

Therefore, it is important to follow only the recommendations of a specialist: only he can guide you if you really need to do tooth whitening, which type is best and what degree of whitening you can achieve.