There are many rumors and speculations about teeth whitening. Someone convincing whitening is very harmful to tooth enamel, someone doesn’t believe in the effectiveness of whitening, and someone believes that teeth whitening is too expensive a pleasure. Let’s find out if this is so.
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How to Whiten Teeth and How Much does it Cost?
First of all, teeth whitening can be in the office and at home. Home whitening involves wearing individual plastic (polymer) mouth guards that are filled with a special whitening gel. Mouthguards must be worn daily for 2-3 weeks, and the first effect can be seen within 4-5 days. Mouthguards are convenient in that they can be used at night, and there is no need to constantly visit the dentist’s office. A mouthguard can be purchased at a specialist store, but it is best to order a custom-made one from your dentist. A mouthguard made from an impression of your teeth will have a much greater effect. Often it is necessary to make mouthguards again, but this is an inevitable drawback of this method.
Teeth Whitening Methods
Diverse teeth whitening kit types and methods allow you to achieve the desired result much faster, in just a few visits to the dentist. In-room whitening is divided into two types — chemical and apparatus. In the case of chemical bleaching, two substances are mixed to create the desired reaction, one of which acts as a catalyst for the process (accelerates the chemical reactions of the bleaching gel). This method has been used for a long time and is now used quite rarely since it takes a long time to achieve the desired effect.
For achieving a better result, there are commonly used catalysts. It can be ultraviolet light, laser radiation, or heat, which heats up the whitening gel and activates chemical reactions so that the gel penetrates better into the dentin. In just one procedure, lasting an hour and a half, the color of the teeth can lighten by 4–8 tones.
Is it Possible to Whiten Teeth Without Harm?
Anyone who dreams of having white teeth is concerned about how safe teeth whitening is. Of course, any kind of whitening effects and depletes the tooth enamel, without which whitening is basically impossible. A denser, genetically resistant enamel will be less affected, but the effect will not be so noticeable. People with less stable enamel may have a greater effect, but the sensitivity of the teeth may increase significantly. However, this problem is fixable — after any whitening, it’s necessary to use special kinds of toothpaste for sensitive teeth or fluoride products, which can be bought in any store today. Thanks to them, the sensitivity will quickly decrease, and the teeth will continue to delight you with their whiteness.