Why teeth lose their natural colour?
During routine chewing micro-cracks occur in the enamel. It is these cracks, as well as the spaces between the crystalline enamel rods, that gradually fill up with stains and debris. As a result, the teeth will look more opaque and yellowish.
Tooth whitening aims to restore this natural colour or even go further than that.
Stains can be extrinsic stains, on the surface of the tooth, or intrinsic, formed on the interior of teeth. Tooth staining is caused by age, eating habits, smoking habits, drugs intake, trauma, grinding and some others.
Tooth whitening techniques can be divided into three large groups.
In-Office Whitening
Main bennifit is that it is usually done in one visit, takes short period of time. Due to the stronger bleaching agent used, though, it can lead to tooth sensitivity and gum irritation. Also, the effect is not that long lasting.
Professionally Dispensed Take-Home Kits
We, as are the majority of our colleagues, are of the opinion that professionally dispensed take-home whitening kits produce the best results, and side effects almost neglectable. The effect is longer lasting than the other options.The gel is applied to the teeth using custom-made bleaching trays that resemble mouth guards.
Over-the-Counter Products
The cheapest of the teeth whitening options, over-the-counter bleaching involves the use of a store-bought whitening kit. The results can vary greatly and are often worse compared to the other options, while side effects are noticeable.
Here, at Deckoff Dental you can have a personal consultation and professionally done tooth whitening.