It is a technique for the removal of the yellow discoloration that has accumulated on the teeth through the years. Many substances can change the colour of the teeth: some antibiotics, coffee, tea, red wine, and cigarettes. Ageing also causes a yellowing of the dental enamel.
Teeth whitening responds to a growing need of both men and women.
Together with the eyes, the mouth is the part of the face most looked at. It is also the feature that is instantly seen whenever we express ourselves. White teeth valorise the mouth and light up the face. They contribute to the face’s radiance and are extremely important for the beauty of the smile.
Teeth can be whitened in three ways :
1) Bleaching at the dentist’s :
After covering your gums with a protective substance, the dentist applies three coats of a highly concentrated peroxide gel. The light of a special lamp activates the peroxide. The treatment takes about one hour.
2) Bleaching at home :
The dentists takes a cast of your teeth and makes a “mouthpiece” with their exact shape.
You take the mouthpiece home, together with a bleaching gel with the correct concentration, and use them for one hour and a half in the daytime or the entire night, during 10 to 14 days.
3) The combined formula :
The dentist bleaches the teeth and – during the same session – takes a cast, which is used for manufacturing the mouthpiece.
You take the mouthpiece home, together with a bleaching gel with the correct concentration, so you can repeat the treatment at home. In this way the whiteness will last longer.
During the first (free) consultation your teeth are checked and their present colour noted. You and the dentist decide which colour best suits your face. The choice between the three treatment options is also discussed.
If you opt for a treatment at the dentist’s, everything is taken care of during the treatment session. You do not have to do anything afterwards. If you prefer the home treatment, it is advised not to drink discolouring beverages during the treatment period.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding, milk teeth.
The results last for an average of two years. The treatment can be repeated at will.
People using lots of discolouring beverages and heavy smokers are of course advised to take the combined treatment.
Dentist Thierry Bertin is specialized in teeth whitening.