In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
Teeth whitening is the easiest and shortest way to get a beautiful, white smile. It is also becoming more and more popular – there are many more patients on dental chairs today than a few years ago. However, is teeth whitening a procedure whose effects will be visible for many months? Is it possible to whiten very yellowed teeth?
Professional teeth whitening methods
Experts agree – there are no jokes with the teeth. Therefore, for many of us, it is applicable home whitening methods may end up not only with hypersensitivity, but even with serious dental diseases. Therefore, it is worth putting yourself in the hands of a specialist who will not only check the condition of our teeth, but also help in choosing the best method.
Not sure which one to choose? Read on and find out which whitening methods are better – home or at the dentist’s?
One of them is teeth whitening with a laser or lamps. The first step is to protect the gums against the whitening gel, which is applied to the teeth in the next step. Later, the teeth are exposed to blue light in several stages. What number of irradiations will be performed with us depends on the color of our teeth and the effect we want to achieve. Experts believe that with this type of whitening, you can lighten your teeth by at least 5 tones. In some patients it occurs whitening the shade by up to 14 tones. The cost of such whitening ranges from PLN 500 to PLN 3. zloty.
Another whitening method is to use dentist-prepared trays at home. During the visit, the doctor will take an imprint of our dentition and prepare properly matched overlays. Our task at home will be to apply a special gel to the teeth and put on overlays for 4 hours a day. The entire whitening process usually takes 4 weeks. Thanks to it, we are able to lighten our teeth by 6-7 shades. The cost of overlay whitening is PLN 500-1 thousand. zloty.
A method that gives the most spectacular effects are the use of veneers. Veneers are nothing more than thin porcelain flakes that are applied individually to each tooth. They are usually used in patients whose teeth are so yellowed that the other whitening methods may not produce the expected results. In addition, thanks to veneers, we can not only change the color, but also the shape of our teeth and get rid of defects. The color of the veneer will be selected so that it is as white as possible, but at the same time it looks natural.
How long does the whitening effect last?
When whitening our teeth, we must remember that the procedure itself is not enough for the effect to be spectacular for a long time. To achieve this, you should remember about certain rules that should apply after each teeth whitening. For the first 2 hours after the procedure, you must not drink or eat anything, and for the next 2 weeks, observe the so-called white diet.
White diet it is nothing more than the exclusion from the menu of all products that have intense dyes, both natural and artificial. From our menu should disappear, among others beets, carrots, berries, coffee, tea, red wine, carbonated drinks. Instead, we should eat bright products that will not cause discoloration on whitened teeth. This will be:
- dairy products – white cheese, milk, natural yoghurt;
- still water;
- poultry meat, white fish;
- white rice, millet, semolina, barley;
- bright fruits – bananas, apples;
- white vegetables – potatoes, kohlrabi, zucchini, white beans.
Read on and learn more about what causes tooth discoloration
We should also not forget about the appropriate one oral hygiene. After the procedure, whitening may appear tooth sensitivityTherefore, it is worth using a toothpaste intended for such teeth for cleaning. However, washing is not enough. We should use dental floss and an irrigator to get rid of food residues from the interdental spaces after each meal. Regular dental checkups should not be forgotten either.
If we do not forget about the above rules, the whitening effect will last up to 2 years. However, we must remember that teeth whitening can significantly weaken tooth enamel, so we should not perform professional whitening treatments at the dentist’s office more often than every year.
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.