What is Teeth Whitening?
Tooth whitening is defined as the process of removing the porous enamel on the surface of the teeth and the colored natural and inorganic substances that occur in the structure of the tooth using tooth whitening gels. This process is usually requested when the teeth turn yellow due to various reasons over time and can be achieved by changing the internal or external color of the tooth enamel. The chemical degradation of chromogens in or on the surface of the tooth is called bleaching.
How Tooth Whitening is Applied
Teeth whitening methods vary according to the technique and application sections. We can list these whitening procedures as follows;
Home-type teeth whitening: Home-type teeth whitening method , which is known as home teeth whitening, is prepared by taking impressions from the mouth and preparing individualized whitening plaques. Tooth whitening gel is applied into this prepared plaque at a determined rate. It is a treatment method in which the plaque is used for an average of 10-15 days with a minimum of 4-6 hours of use during the day or 8-10 days during night sleep. Office type teeth whitening: This method is defined as teeth whitening using laser and is performed by a specialist in a clinical environment. The duration of the application is shorter compared to other techniques. The whitening gel applied to the surface of the teeth by the dentist is activated with the help of UV light or laser and the whitening process takes an average of 1 hour.
Combined teeth whitening: With this method, whitening is applied together at home and in the office. After the procedure is performed in the clinic, it is supported by home whitening for two-three days.
Single tooth whitening: It is applied to teeth with discoloration after root canal treatment. The filling in the tooth is removed, whitening gel is applied to the opened gap and then the tooth is closed with temporary filling method. Sessions are repeated at intervals of three days for three days until the desired color is obtained.