Teeth whitening (Bleaching)

Suitable candidate

• Teeth whitening is possible only on healthy teeth and the main prerequisite is a good condition of the patient's teeth.
• The natural color of the teeth is slightly yellow, but the color of the teeth is influenced by several factors (genetics, diet - coffee, tea, cigarettes, energy drinks, red wine). Dentin is responsible for the color of the teeth. Pigments caused by food can be treated with dental hygiene.

Unsuitable candidate

• Teeth whitening will not remove brown or black discoloration caused by tooth decay.
• Caries must be professionally treated before teeth whitening. Whitening also does not change the color of fillings, crowns or dental implants. 
• The antibiotic tetracycline (which was also administered to children in the past) was deposited in the developing teeth and also caused tooth discoloration that resists whitening.

In-Office Whitening takes place at your dentist, who applies a whitening gel (concentrated hydrogen peroxide is used) and leaves it on for 15 - 20 minutes and then wipes it off.

The surrounding tissues are protected by an isolation membrane. 

Nowadays, your dentist can also offer you whitening gels with a different composition than hydrogen peroxide, but a chemical reaction (and therefore the action of a chemical substance) is always necessary to change the colour of your teeth.

Laser whitening (Power Whitening) also uses a bleaching gel that is activated by the light emitted from the laser beans. Laser whitening takes about an hour.

Your dentist will take impressions of your teeth and make a removable splint (custom-fitted tray).

You apply a whitening gel to the splint at home (a 10% carbamide peroxide solution is used) and have your teeth whitened - usually for 1 - 2 hours in the morning and 1 - 2 hours in the evening.

Other whitening regimes are also used - for example only in the evening for 4 hours - for a total of 14 days.

It is possible to eat and drink after teeth whitening, but for the first 24 - 48 hours you need to avoid cigarettes as well as foods that stain (a so-called "white diet" is necessary):

For the "White diet" avoid:

• Foods: soy sauce and other dark sauces, tomatoes, beets.
• Drinks: coffee, black tea, red wine, sweetened fizzy drinks (like Cola).
• Fruit: blueberries, pomegranates, cherries, forest fruits, blackcurrant.
• Spices: curry, turmeric.

Recovery:

• The teeth are sensitive for the first 24 hours.
• The effect of teeth whitening lasts from about 6 months to 2 years - depending on the shade of the teeth.
• Whitening can be repeated every 4 months or twice a year. However, it is necessary to consult your dentist.

Over-the-counter teeth whitening products are sold with bouth bleaching agents: Hydrogen peroxide as well as Carbamide peroxide.

Bleaching products with highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) had whitened the teeth, but irreversibly damaged the enamel - are now banned to use.

Professional whitening is supervised by a dentist, more safety and have more reliable results than bleaching with over-the-counter products. The list of Specialists is available on Phivio.