Now that you have completed your orthodontic treatment and you have beautifully straight teeth why not consider brightening your teeth with teeth whitening treatment. Teeth whitening can be carried out in a variety of different ways, the most common form of whitening is either in surgery whitening or a take-home system. Read on to find out which is the most suitable option for you.
Teeth whitening should only be ever carried out by a dental professional qualified to do so. This ensures that the whitening gel used is of an approved level safe for your health and teeth. Tooth whitening will generally whiten most shades of teeth however certain shades struggle to lift. Your dental professional can advise you of this at your consultation.
In surgery, whitening can either be provided stand-alone or with a take-home kit to improve the result. In surgery, whitening can take up to 2 hours in the dental chair, firstly your soft tissues (cheeks and gums) will be isolated with gauze and a liquid dam that is set hard, so to protect them from the whitening gel. The gel will then be applied to your teeth and enhanced with an activation lamp. Once the procedure is complete you should notice an instant lift in the shade of your teeth.
If you opt for a take-home system then impressions will be taken of your teeth to manufacture the whitening trays, you will then return to the practice a week or two later to have the trays fitted and have a demonstration of how to place the gel and all the instructions required to achieve an excellent result. Take home systems often take around 2 weeks, although if your desired result is achieved earlier than this you may be able to stop the process following consultation with your dentist.
Not everyone is suitable for teeth whitening as either system are unable to whiten crowns, dentures or tooth coloured fillings, so if you want whiter teeth but you have any of the above on your front teeth then you may have to consider having these replaced to match the new whiter shade.
If you are interested in having teeth whitening with us here at Oldham Orthodontics