Tooth whitening involves the use of peroxide-based materials to whiten teeth. Most dentists use an in-office and/or at-home whitening system to achieve the desired results. Before tooth whitening, the patient must get all cavities filled, and the gums must be healthy. The in-office systems use 35% hydrogen peroxide gels coupled with a high intensity light to whiten the teeth. The gums need to be protected with some systems, and then gels are placed on the teeth. We use a plasma  light source, which  activates the peroxide to oxidize stains on the tooth surface. In about an hour, the teeth become four to six shades lighter.  

At-home systems most often use 10 to 20% carbamide peroxide gels to oxidize stains. The dentist makes impressions (moulds) of the mouth, and then has soft mouth trays made. The patient is fitted with the trays, and then is instructed to place a thin ribbon of the gel into the tray and wear while sleeping. Most whitening occurs in one to two weeks. In difficult cases, trays may need to be worn for up to six weeks. The procedure is safe when monitored by a dentist, and does not damage the tooth in any way.

White fillings or porcelain crowns (caps) and bridges will not whiten  with either method. Some patients will experience minor tooth sensitivity during whitening procedures. The dentist can remedy this by alternating concentrated fluoride with the peroxide in the mouth trays.

Store bought bleaching systems are not as effective as dentist-managed systems. Unsupervised use of store-bought bleaching systems can cause painful sensitivity to untreated dental cavities. The mouth trays are not custom made, which can cause gum irritation, and the peroxides are not as strong or effective.

A Home Whitening Case

	This patient didn't like the yellow colour of her teeth.		Now that she has a brighter whiter smile she feels much more confident.

	'Home whitening trays were custom made for the upper and lower teeth.		A small amount of the whitening gel is extruded for each tooth into the whitening tray.

 

An In-office Whitening Case

			If the gums have receded, the sensitive root surfaces are also protected
	To prevent gum irritation, the Dentist will syringe a gel around the edges of the teeth to protect the gums
	An untraviolet light is used to harden the protective gel			A whitening gel is applied to the teeth. This is removed after 10-15 minutes by using suction
	The teeth are carefully washed to remove any traces of the whitening gel			The gum protection is easily peeled away
	This patient was unhappy with the colour of her teeth			She was delighted with the results after 1 hour of in office whitening