There are a number of different ways to whiten teeth. Tooth whitening can be done in office with a special gel and light. This is rather expensive, and sometimes can lead to tooth sensitivity for a few days or weeks.
It is also possible to bleach teeth using custom bleaching trays. An impression is made of the teeth and is poured up with stone/plaster to make a model of the teeth. A plastic sheet is then heated and vacuum-formed over the tooth model. The plastic sheet then cools down and is trimmed along the gumline. This allows for bleach to be in contact with all surfaces of teeth – the smiling side, the biting side, and the tongue side.
The cheapest way to bleach teeth is to use bleaching strips, which can be bought in many stores or online. They are placed onto the smiling side of the teeth and slightly wrapped around to the tongue side, but doesn’t reach very far on the tongue side. Thus, mostly the smiling side gets bleached, while bleach does not contact most of the areas on the side of the palate.
Bleaching strips are also a great way for people to bleach one or two, or just a few teeth. Sometimes if one tooth is darker than others, it may be a good idea to try to bleach just that one tooth, until it becomes closer to the shade of all the teeth, and after that, all the teeth can be bleached together. This way the difference in shade between the teeth is better masked.
FAQ’S
Teeth whitening has hydrogen peroxide that breaks down the molecules staining the teeth.
Hydrogen peroxide
Teeth whitening may work best for those who have yellowish teeth.
Teeth whitening at your dentist’s office can take as quick as a single visit. However, this depends on the hue of your teeth. The more yellow it is, the more sessions you may need.
It is recommended to get a dental cleaning before teeth whitening.