Friday, July 31, 2009

How does one "bleach" their teeth?

Actual chlorine bleach (like what you would use for your clothes) is not used to whiten your teeth. Whitening (often called bleaching) is achieved with a product like Crest whitestrips, Aquafresh trays, etc. The agent in the whitening product draws the stain caused by foods, smoking, drinking, etc out of the teeth. Other methods for "whitening" can include wearing a custom tray (like a sports mouth guard specially made to fit) in your mouth with a gel or to do in office whitening (like Zoom, BriteSmile, etc) . A commonly used whitening gel is carbamide peroxide and has been used for many years now in the dental field.





Hope that helps!


JAMRDH - a dental hygienist

How does one "bleach" their teeth?
The best program for that is "Zoom" your dentist does it and it costs roughly $400....the stuff over the counter isnt strong enough but what dentists use is...I had it done after I quit smoking....made a huge difference!!!
Reply:Consult your dentist to make sure you dont have any white fillings, crowns or veneers first as they dont change colour during bleaching and may need replaced at a later stage.





Zoom is great as you have instant results. Its also the most expensive option and relapses quicker. We had a demo at our practice and after a month the guinea pigs (dentist) teeth were back to their original colour.





The practice where i work uses the nite white tray system. You take custom made trays home with you, apply some gel bleach to them and wear them every night for approx 10 nights. We charge £275 however every practice may differ. You need to do a top up every couple of months for a night or two to maintain the colour. Extra tubes of bleach cost around £25 and will give you 6 applications.





Your teeth change gradually from night to night. As it is a gradual process the sensitivity is less than using zoom. The sensitivity only lasts while you bleach your teeth, doesnt happen to everyone and isnt harmful to your teeth. Bleaching is totally safe although not recommended for use in pregnant women.





Hope this helps!



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