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Teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry treatments. It often arouses the interest of people straightening the bite with orthodontic braces. In order to obtain the best result, i.e. straight and snow-white teeth, it is best to wait until the camera is removed. There are some caveats to whitening before putting it on or while wearing it.
Braces – when to whiten your teeth?
When it comes to plans to put in an orthodontic appliance, there may be a question about teeth whitening. There are currently methods available that allow whitening before or after the braces are fitted. Brightening the teeth during the dental appliance treatment process is also possible, although usually not recommended. You should also consult your doctor about contraindications to whitening with specific methods. The procedure will also not be performed on people under 18 years of age. In some clinics, the age limit is 16.
Teeth whitening before putting on orthodontic appliances
Brightening the teeth before the braces are put in place and under the dentist’s supervision will be effective, but you have to remember about its limited durability. Whitening effect lasts – depending on the method – from about one to three years. It depends to a large extent on proper dental hygiene, and braces can make it difficult. This means that after removing the camera, which is usually worn for a minimum of several months, and sometimes even three years, the whitening effect may weaken. Then the treatment will have to be repeated.
A separate issue is that the teeth lightened by a few tones will not be fully visible from under the braces of the braces during orthodontic treatment. In addition, curved and overlapping teeth are unlikely to be whitened on the entire surface. After removing the camera, you may find that the enamel in some places has a different shade because it did not get there whitening preparation.
Teeth whitening prior to treatment with fixed appliances may be recommended in some situations. It is mainly about the planned reconstruction of selected teeth. Then the dentist will select the color of the reconstructive material with the appropriate accuracy to the shade of the dentition. If we decide to whiten our teeth before putting on braces, we should do it early enough. After the procedure, the teeth are hypersensitive for some time, and you need to follow a white diet even two weeks after its performance.
Teeth whitening while wearing braces
In theory, you can whiten your teeth while wearing a fixed appliance, but this is not an option recommended by dentists. Uniform lightening of the enamel in this case is significantly impeded by the brackets and the glue that fixes them. As a result, after removing the orthodontic structure, darker points may be visible that have not been whitened. There is also no guarantee that the whitening agent will not weaken the adhesive holding the braces in place. Another issue is also tooth sensitivitythat appears after bleaching. Pain can be reduced, but it may be more difficult for teeth weakened by braces. Therefore, when using an orthodontic appliance, you should pay particular attention to oral hygiene. So order the Vitamma SMILS Sonic Toothbrush with 5 brushing programs, which will work well in taking care of the braces, but also have other functions useful in everyday oral hygiene.
Check what other circumstances are important when whitening teeth:
- Teeth whitening and hypersensitivity
- Teeth whitening and fillings
- Teeth whitening and smoking
- Dead teeth whitening
Teeth whitening after removing the braces
In most cases, teeth whitening makes sense after removal fixed braces. Then, a check-up is performed, the condition of the teeth is assessed and the procedure is planned. You also have to wait at least four weeks, because the teeth weakened by orthodontic treatment show increased sensitivity, which is an inherent difficulty in whitening teeth.
Before whitening teeth straightened with braces, treatment of cavities, if any, should be carried out. It also happens that wearing an orthodontic appliance promotes the formation of decalcification on the enamel surface. These carious lesions also need to be treated with remineralisation, e.g. with appropriate toothpastes. Only when there are no contraindications, you can start whitening your teeth, e.g. using the overlay or laser method. It is worth remembering that sandblasting or scaling will also improve the appearance of the teeth after removing the braces.
As an aid, ApaCare Repair Tooth Remineralization Gel, which is applied to the teeth after brushing, can be used.