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Teeth Whitening Treatment
Teeth whitening treatment is applicable to individuals born with naturally dark tooth color or whose teeth have darkened over time due to food, beverages, or teeth grinding. Patients undergoing whitening treatment first undergo a detailed examination. The treatment requires no wear on the neck area of the teeth and no deep cracks on the enamel surface. Prior to whitening application, issues such as gum inflammation, gum recession, and tooth decay in individuals need to be addressed.
What are the Types of Teeth Whitening?
Generally, there are two types of application for teeth retaining vitality:
Home Bleaching: Custom mouthguards are prepared according to the measurements taken from the mouth. The whitening gel provided by the dentist is applied into this specially made tray and worn for specified intervals on specific days. This procedure yields results over a longer duration using lower-concentration gels.
Clinic Bleaching : In a clinical setting, after isolating the gums with special barriers, a special gel is applied to the teeth, which activates under UV light or laser. This procedure involves the application of a higher-concentration gel for around 45 minutes.
What Precautions to Take After Whitening?
Temporary sensitivity may occur in teeth for 24 hours after the whitening process. The whitening reaction continues within the channels of the tooth structure for 48 hours. Thus, for 48 hours after the procedure, it's important to avoid any staining foods or liquids (tomato sauce, red wine, cherry juice, tea, coffee, etc.) and refrain from smoking. Following this diet for two weeks positively affects maintaining the achieved level of whiteness and color tone for an extended period.
Reversible Whitening Process
Following a whitening procedure, teeth may darken by a shade or two due to consumed foods. For some patients with structural enamel coloration, combining both clinical and home-based whitening may be recommended to achieve the desired tooth shade. Alternatively, after a clinical whitening procedure, supporting the maintenance of the obtained color tone with home-based whitening after 6 months to 1 year is suggested for long-term preservation.
Internal Bleaching for Teeth with Loss of Vitality, Trauma, or Canal Treatment
Whitening treatment for such teeth is performed by placing whitening agents inside the tooth by the dentist. For a discolored tooth due to previous root canal treatment, internal bleaching procedures are applied to eliminate color changes. In cases of color changes resulting from trauma, whitening procedures are performed following canal treatment. These procedures can span several sessions. Sometimes the treatment may fail, or the tooth may revert to its previous color after several years if whitening is not applied. Crown prosthetics can be applied to these teeth if whitening is not undertaken to achieve a natural appearance.