Teeth Bleaching (Teeth Whitening)

Teeth whitening, also recognized as teeth bleaching, is a widespread procedure in dentistry but most particularly in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Many people believe white teeth to be an nice-looking feature of a smile. A child's deciduous teeth are normally whiter teeth than the adult that follow. As a person ages the adult teeth often increase in value - that is to say, they become darker.

For most dental bleaching procedure uses oxidising agents such as hydrogen peroxide to improve the shade of the tooth. The oxidising agent go through the porosities in the rod-like crystal structure of enamel and oxidises interprismatic stain deposits; over some period of time, the dentine layer, lying below the enamel, is also whitened.

Tooth whitening in the USA is very popular nowadays. One of the major influences on the market has been an increasing cult of celebrity, many of whom sport clinically improved clean white teeth.

There are two major teeth whitening systems. The first engages using a high concentration of oxidising agent for a short period of time, which is the so-called office bleach. This creates rapid results but risks chemical burns to the soft tissues. As a result, most professional teeth whitening procedures use a light-cured protecting layer that is cautiously painted on the gums and papilla (the tips of the gums between the teeth). The tooth bleaching agent is either carbamide peroxide, which breaks down in the mouth to form hydrogen peroxide, or hydrogen peroxide itself. The teeth whitening gel usually includes up to 35% hydrogen peroxide equivalent.

The substitute system involves using a thin mouthguard or strip to hold a small concentration of oxidising agent next to the teeth for as long as several hours a day for a period of 5 to 14 days. This is recognized as home teeth whitening or over-the-counter teeth whitening kits. This is a slower process but has fewer risks to the soft tissues. The bleaching agent is usually fewer than 10% hydrogen peroxide equivalent.

A usual course of bleaching can make vivid improvements in the cosmetic look of most stained teeth, though, some stains do not react to dental teeth bleaching. Tetracycline staining may need prolonged bleaching, as it takes longer for the bleach to reach the dentine layer.

Lately, efforts have been made to speed up the process by the use of light (laser tooth whitening). Studies have shown differ results as to the efficiency of light-activated bleaching.

Side effects of teeth bleaching contain chemical burns (if a high-concentration oxidizing agent contacts undefended tissues, which may bleach or discolor mucous membranes), susceptible teeth, and over-bleaching (known in the profession as "fridge-door teeth"). Rebound, or teeth losing the bleached effect and darkening, is also an issue, with some studies showing the rebound effect over 30 days. A fresh study by Kugel et al has shown that as much as 4 shades of lightness can be lost over 30 days with light-activated/office teeth whitening.

Zoom Teeth Whitening is an in-office procedure designed to bleach teeth using a mixture of a hydrogen peroxide teeth whitening gel and a specially designed ultraviolet lamp.