Blog Coburg Dental Group

Teeth whitening is as easy as visiting your dentist. It is a simple treatment to lighten your teeth and remove stains or discolouration. It is a very popular and effective way to improve your smile.

What Teeth Whitening Is Used For 

The outer layer of your tooth is the enamel which helps give your teeth their natural colour. If your enamel is too thin, the underlying dentin will show through. Both of these areas become stained on a daily basis. Your tooth enamel has pores which mean stains aren’t easily removed. Some of the most common reasons for such stains include drinking something with a dark colour, not taking care of your teeth properly and aging.

Stains can also form on the inside of your tooth. These are known as intrinsic stains. They are caused from having too much fluoride as a child, taking tetracycline antibiotics, and trauma. Teeth whitening will not affect those stains; it only works on extrinsic stains.

How In-Chair Teeth Whitening Works 

When you are ready to have your extrinsic stains taken care of your dentist will first ensure you don’t have any cavities and if you do have them, your dentist will fill them. This is an important part of the process because the whitening solution can pass through the decayed areas of your teeth, reaching the innermost parts of your tooth.

Once your teeth are healthy, you or your dentist may take a photograph to track the whitening process. Next, you’ll have your teeth cleaned to remove some of the stainings.

Your dentist will then apply a whitening agent, activated by a soft light.

 Advantages of the Procedure 

• It works quickly
• It treats deep stains
• If you have sensitive teeth, professional teeth whitening may be preferred as home whitening kits can contain products that may irritate your teeth

What to Expect After Whitening 

After the procedure, you may feel some minor sensitivity throughout your mouth, but this should disappear quickly. Overall, you will find that this is an easy way to improve the look of your teeth for a year or two. Of course, how long the procedure lasts will depend on your diet and oral health care routine.