Teeth whitening

These days, snow-white teeth are a feature that add confidence. The smile plays an important role in interpersonal communication. To achieve the so-called "Hollywood smile", many patients decide to have their teeth whitened.

Bleaching may apply to both live teeth as well as teeth after a root canal treatment.

VITAL TEETH BLEACHING

Teeth whitening can take place at home or be carried out professionally in the office. Before starting the whitening procedure, the doctor checks the fillings present in the oral cavity for leakage and, if necessary, refers the patient to a hygienist for a professional cleaning of the teeth from calculus deposits and plaque so that the whitening product can act directly on the teeth.

Tray whitening (at home)

In this method of bleaching, impressions are taken using alginate material to make individual trays. At the next visit, the patient receives the trays with the whitening solution (most often 15% carbamide peroxide) and instructions for use - after brushing one’s teeth in the evening, a peppercorn amount of gel per tooth is applied to the tray and placed into the mouth for 2-10 hours (depending on the concentration of the solution). Home whitening lasts about 14 days. After 2 weeks after finishing the whitening treatment, it is sometimes recommended to replace the visible fillings in the anterior teeth, because they do not change their color under the influence of the whitening substances.

Tray whitening is a safe method for the patient to whiten the teeth, allowing for precise control of the changing color of the teeth. Once the effect is satisfactory, you can stop using the trays.

Professional whitening (at the office)

In the case of professional whitening, all procedures take place in the dental office. Using the same solutions except at higher concentrations (25-38%), their action is accelerated by using a lamp emitting cold light. During the procedure, the gingiva is also protected by a liquid rubber dam. The whole procedure takes just over an hour.

Often the most effective method is to combine both methods - professional whitening with trays - in order to obtain the best possible long-term effect of snow-white teeth.  

BLEACHING OF NON-VITAL TEETH

There is also the possibility of changing the color of a non-vital tooth, which can be discolored for many reasons including pulp necrosis or the previously used old type of canal filling materials during root canal treatment. Before the procedure, it is necessary to take an X-ray of the tooth in order to assess the endodontic treatment. In the method of gradual bleaching (walking bleaching), the tooth is cleaned, and its original color evaluated. Next, the pulp chamber is accessed and the material below the cervical part of the tooth is removed. The tooth is temporarily closed with the whitening agent inside. After about 7 days, the effect is evaluated, if it is not satisfactory, the whole procedure is repeated. The second option is the thermocatalytic method (power bleaching) with the additional use of a light source. In this method, the bleaching material is placed several times inside the tooth and subjected to the light source, until the desired effect is obtained.