Teeth whitening

Beautiful white teeth are part of modern culture, a symbol of health and success. In this article, you will learn more about how whitening affects the hard tissues of the teeth, the types of whitening and which method to choose, and whether you really need it.

It is important to distinguish between the terms ‘professional teeth cleaning’ and ‘teeth whitening’.

• Professional dental cleaning involves removing plaque and calculus (external pigmentation) from the surface of teeth, fillings and prosthetic structures, which leads to lightening of the teeth. This procedure is performed by a dentist or dental hygienist using manual or instrumental methods, but does not interfere with the internal structures of the tooth.
• Teeth whitening is a procedure in which the natural colour of the teeth is changed to a lighter colour due to a chemical reaction between the carbamide peroxide contained in the whitening system and the hard tooth tissues. The most appropriate analogy is peroxide hair lightening.

Now let’s separate the facts from the marketing and advertising information presented by bleach system manufacturers.

Almost all modern bleaching systems use carbamide peroxide as the main active ingredient. The principle of action consists in the release of atomic oxygen from the peroxide and its interaction with protein bonds of the pigment areas of the dental tissues. In doing so, the bonds are broken and the protein chains are shortened, which is accompanied by a lightening of the pigment of the dental tissues.

• The decomposition of carbamide peroxide can be initiated and accelerated by physical methods of exposure (light radiation of a certain wavelength). The method used is not fundamentally important for achieving the final result – lightening of the teeth. The choice will depend on the preferences of the dentist and the type of bleaching system used.
• Other important components of the whitening system are salts of potassium, fluorine or calcium, which reduce the sensitivity of the tooth to this procedure and contribute to its remineralization, thus strengthening the structure. Each manufacturer has its own recipe.

There are two types of teeth whitening, which differ fundamentally

• Home teeth whitening involves wearing special trays with whitening gel. This type of whitening usually takes a little longer, but the products used have a low concentration, which makes it possible to carry out the procedure at home without the supervision of a dentist.
• In-office whitening is performed in a dental clinic. In this case, the concentration of the drug is higher, external light exposure is often used to activate it in order to increase the effectiveness of the process. One of the advantages of this whitening is the high speed of achieving the result (the procedure takes about half an hour).

Many manufacturers of dental whitening products now offer a combination of both types of whitening as a way to optimize the whitening effect. The combination of the two systems allows the patient to achieve maximum whitening effect.

Indications for teeth whitening are

• age-related colour change;
• Tooth discolouration caused by fluorosis
• Discoloured teeth
• Tooth discolouration caused by medication

Teeth whitening is not recommended

• patients with carious lesions of the teeth or periodontal disease
• pregnant and breastfeeding women
• patients who have artificial crowns or fillings on their front teeth

The whitening effect can last up to several years. In order to maintain the whitening effect, it is necessary to maintain careful oral hygiene at home and regularly attend professional dental hygiene at least once every six months.