Teeth Bleaching

Teeth bleaching is successful in at least 90% of patients. Biggest considerations are teeth darkening from tea, coffee, age or smoking. Teeth with a yellow, brown or orange tone respond better to bleaching. If you have a greyish tone due to Tetracycline staining or Flourosis it will lighten, but the result might not be as dramatic. Very sensitive teeth, worn enamel or excessive gum recession might be contra-indications for bleaching due to the risk of increased post whitening sensitivity which could result in serious complications.

If you are the right candidate for bleaching there is 2 ways of doing it:

The one choice is to bleach your teeth at home by wearing a close fitting, custom made and lightweight mouth guard overnight or for 1-2 hours a day, depending on the concentration of bleach the dentist would prescribe to you.

The second options is called in-office bleaching where the result is achieved much quicker because much stronger bleaching gels are being use under direct supervision of the dentist. This type of bleaching still requires the patient to wear close fitting custom made mouth guards for 1-2 hours a day for 4-5 days after the in-office procedure to guarantee long lasting results. Once you have bleached your teeth it should last 2-5 years depending on your habits such as smoking, drinking red wine, tea and coffee, etc. You could touch up your bleaching after a few years by using your old trays and purchasing fresh bleaching top up syringes from your dentist with which you then bleach overnight till you are happy again with the result. Bleaching is a very safe procedure and it is very effective. Some patients might suffer from some gum irritation and sensitivity, but this normally resolves when the treatment ends.