Teeth Bleaching or Whitening

Tooth bleaching or tooth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure designed to lighten the shade of your teeth. As people age, their adult teeth usually become darker. The darkening of teeth can be a consequence of:

• Natural changes in the composition of the tooth
• Bacterial pigments
• Foods
• Tea or coffee
• Tobacco

There are several options available to you when whitening your teeth:

• Dentistry office bleaching
• At home bleaching
• Whitening toothpastes

The bleaching procedure uses oxidising agents such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to lighten the color of the teeth. The oxidising agent penetrates the porosities in the tooth enamel and oxidises stain deposits. With prolonged treatment the dentine layer lying underneath the enamel is also bleached. Tooth bleaching will generally last from 5 to 7 years however is affected by factors such as cigarette smoking, tea and/or coffee consumption etc.

Office bleaching usually involves applying a high concentration of oxidising agent for a short period of time producing a quick result but has risks of chemical burns to the soft tissues such as gums, tongue and mouth.

Home bleaching involves using a teeth mouth guard to hold a low concentration of oxidising agent next to the teeth for as long as several hours a day over a period of 5 to 10 days. This is a slower process however has less risk to the soft tissues in the mouth. The bleaching agent is usually less than 10% in concentration.

Side effects of tooth bleaching include as mentioned, chemical burns, discoloration of soft tissue, over bleached teeth and sensitive teeth. Bleaching is not recommended in children under the age of 16 because the pulp chamber, or nerve of the tooth, is enlarged until this age and may increase probability of side effects. Teeth whitening is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women.