Teeth Whitening Procedure

The Teeth Whitening Procedure

There are many methods used for teeth whitening. You can opt to do your teeth whitening at home with a kit you can buy at any drugstore or even one that can be bought from your dentist. There is also a bleach teeth whitening procedure that your dentist will do in his office. The newest procedure for whitening your teeth is the laser method and this too is done in the dentist’s chair.

What to Expect with the Laser Bleach Teeth Whitening Method

A teeth whitening gel is used in conjunction with a laser instrument. A bleaching gel that is translucent will be applied to your teeth. The gel is infused with crystals and a laser light will be used in order to activate those crystals. They in turn absorb energy from the laser light in order to penetrate into the enamel to increase the teeth whitening effect.

Often your regular dentist doesn’t perform laser bleach teeth whitening; rather a dentist schooled in cosmetic dentistry is the one to perform the procedure. How long it will take in order to whiten your teeth will depend entirely on how discolored and stained your teeth are at present.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages to the Procedure

Typically it takes just a single visit to a cosmetic dentist in order for your teeth to get lighter. A brilliant smile is the best advantage to having a teeth whitening procedure done. Though you may not have ivory white teeth, they will in fact be much brighter than when you walked into the office. Having whiter teeth will give you more self confidence and you won’t feel the need to hide your teeth when you smile.

One disadvantage to the laser teeth whitening procedure is the results are quite dramatic and those that know you well will see an immediate difference in the color of your teeth. Another disadvantage may be the high price involved as the laser bleaching technique is the most expensive of teeth whitening procedures. On the other hand, it is the fastest method to a great smile.

Just How White Can Your Teeth Get?

The teeth whitening procedure cannot perform miracles so if your teeth are discolored because of heavy smoking, coffee or cola beverages, you can rest assured that they will become brighter. There is no set standard in the field of cosmetic dentistry for labeling the color of your teeth but one standard that is often used is called the Vita shade guide. There are four ranges of shade in the Vita guide and they are:
• A- a reddish brown shade
• B- this is a shade of reddish yellow
• C- only gray is in this shade range
• D- the final shade range is reddish gray

When it comes to the A shade group there are five different levels of darkness. For B, C, and D ranges, there are just four different levels of darkness.

Another consideration is that not all of your teeth will be the same color. Eye teeth are usually the darkest of the teeth and your front teeth are often the whitest. Molars can land between the brightest and the darkest of your teeth. The goal for anyone having a teeth whitening procedure is to have their teeth looking as bright as possible and also looking natural.

When you consult with a cosmetic dentist, he will go over your expectations of the teeth whitening procedure and tell you what you can realistically look forward to. No matter what teeth whitening procedure you decide upon, the results for one person will not be the same for the next. How your teeth are structured and the amount of dental work you have had before as well as the teeth whitening procedure you choose will directly affect the end results.