Teeth whitening - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.

Every day, from the screens of our TV sets, we are offered to rejuvenate the skin, make hair smoother, and smile snow-white. And we all want to become a little more perfect without giving up our own habits that are not always useful.

Teeth whitening has become one of the most popular aesthetic procedures in dentistry. Indeed, today a beautiful smile not only increases our self-esteem, but also helps in social adaptation.

Why do my teeth get dark?

Often it seems to people that their teeth have darkened or acquired a yellowish tinge, although in fact it is completely wrong. The constant impact of advertising and modern standards of beauty are contrary to the laws of natural harmony. Each person has his own unique color of skin, eyes, hair and teeth. According to statistics, only 5% of people have a light white shade of teeth, which means that in 95% they are yellowish or grayish, and this is perfectly normal.

To affect the color of teeth can often eat foods, especially coffee, black tea, chocolate, red wine.

Plaque, especially the so-called "smear of the smoker", also gives the teeth a dark shade.

Sometimes the discoloration of the teeth is inherent in nature and is associated with the use of antibiotics( especially tetracycline) by the mother during pregnancy.

In some cases, the tooth darkens after trauma or sealing of the root canals, especially the so-called resorcinol-formalin method.

More details on the methods of bleaching enamel of the teeth, that is, clarification of the natural color of teeth for several tones. Depending on the purpose and the means used, the following teeth whitening methods are selected:

• Whitening of live teeth
- Home teeth whitening
- Professional teeth whitening
- Combined tooth whitening
• Whitening of "dead teeth"
• Enamel microarrays

Whitening of live teeth

Bthe basis of this method of whitening lies the penetration of the whitening agent through the enamel into the dentin of the tooth that has changed in color. Such an agent, as a rule, is carbamide peroxide in various concentrations.

Homemade whitening is recommended if the change in color is not excessive. The concentration of whitening agent in this case is 10 times lower than with professional bleaching. In any case, home whitening is carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

Results the patient begins to notice after 2-3 days, completely the process of whitening is completed in 3-6 weeks. The result, as a rule, is quite persistent( up to several years), but 1-2 times a year it is recommended to hold supportive courses.

How is home tooth whitening performed?

Some kits for home teeth whitening already include standard mouthguards, but still it will be much safer and more convenient if the individual kappa is made by a doctor. For this, it is necessary to remove the molds from both jaws and fabricate their models, in which individual silicone mouthguards are subsequently manufactured. To start the bleaching process, fill the kappa with a 1/3 whitening agent and fix it on the pre-cleaned teeth.

First the kappa should be worn for no more than an hour, gradually increasing the duration to 7-10 hours. Day or night mode of teeth whitening is chosen by the patient depending on his daily routine.

To reduce the phenomena of hypersensitivity of teeth after whitening, it is recommended to alternate the application of bleaching gel with fluoride( as a rule, it is also included in the kit for home bleaching).To avoid irritation of the gums, when each time you wear a whitening form, remove( with a toothbrush or finger) the excess gel that has protruded over its edges, so that it does not get on the gums.

Thus, the patient himself performs the procedure of teeth whitening, the doctor only controls it, monitors the absence of complications.

The procedure for home whitening is practically safe when following all the recommendations, besides it is quite affordable( from 500-700 rubles and above).The drawback of this procedure is the duration of its conduct.

If there are minimal side effects in the form of increased tooth sensitivity, gum irritation, toothache - the doctor usually recommends reducing the daily wearing time of the tooth whitening form, or even wearing it every other day. Since in both cases, the time of contact between the gel and the tissues of the patient's mouth is reduced, the side effects usually disappear. In more serious cases( headaches, bleeding gums, allergic reactions), the dentist can prescribe a treatment;in some cases, the process of teeth whitening is recommended to be discontinued.

Professional teeth whitening

Professional teeth whitening is characterized by a more intensive effect on tooth tissues due to a higher concentration of peroxides in the composition of whitening agents. This method of teeth whitening is used for significantly changed teeth color, gives a quick result. Since getting a concentrated gel on the oral mucosa can cause a burn, this kind of bleaching is done only by a doctor in a dental office.

How is the procedure for professional teeth whitening performed?

A professional bleaching procedure is carried out as follows. Mandatory first of all, the gums are protected with special protective pastes and cofferdam. Teeth are cleaned with abrasive pastes. Further, regularly for 5-30 minutes( depending on the manufacturer of the whitening composition), a whitening agent is applied. Heating, exposure to light of a certain frequency, or exposure to a laser accelerates the bleaching process. Further, the whitening agent is washed off with a large amount of water, the teeth are covered with a fluorine-containing composition to reduce the sensitivity.

The most popular and effective professional whitening procedure is zoom 3.

The cost of this procedure is much higher than the cost of home whitening( from 7000 to 25000 rubles), but the result is achieved for 1 visit. Teeth can thus be whitened in 8-12 tones.

As a rule, the best result is achieved with a combination of professional and home whitening, then we are talking about a combined method of teeth whitening. Its cost is from 5000 rubles.

Whitening "dead"( devital) teeth.

Whitening of "dead"( devital) teeth is sometimes called "internal", as the whitening agent is introduced into the cavity of the tooth. Most often, sodium perborate is used with a 30% solution of hydrogen peroxide.

Internal bleaching can not be carried out if:

- The root canal is sealed in poor quality;
- There is a metal pin in the channel, as the metal will undergo corrosion
- There are defects in the root or crown portion of the tooth through which the whitening agent can penetrate into the oral cavity.

The essence of "internal" bleaching is reduced to the following. The root canal is cleaned of infected tissues and the filling material, and a whitening agent is added to the resulting cavity, the tooth is sealed. After 3-4 days the waste material is replaced with new material, and so until the desired result is achieved. The process can be accelerated by heating the tooth or by applying a laser.

The price of such bleaching is from 2500 thousand rubles and depends on the number of visits and additional manipulations.

Microabrasion of the enamel.

This method of teeth whitening is used in cases where the cause of discoloration of the tooth is the surface "contamination" of the enamel. In addition to the whitening effect, this method still allows to improve the structure of the surface layer of enamel, to smooth the unevenness of the enamel. The most popular is the microfacilities of the AirFlow unit. The cost of this bleaching procedure is from 1800 to 7000 rubles.

How is Airflow bleaching performed:

Microabrasion is started with gum isolation using special hardening pastes and cofferdam, and the face and eyes of the patient also need protection. Then the teeth are treated with a water-soda spray, or a special compound is applied and rubbed, after flushing it, fluorine-containing preparations are processed to reduce the sensitivity of the teeth.

Thus, bacteria, soft plaque and dental deposits are removed on visible surfaces and between tooth surfaces. Usually one procedure is enough to eliminate small spots. With the proper conduct of the method, complications are not observed.

Methods are sparing, but there are contraindications to them.

It is better not to bleach Airflow for children, pregnant and lactating mothers, allergy sufferers, it is not recommended for gum diseases, as gums are inevitably damaged in this bleaching procedure, however carefully it was performed.

If you just decided to return your natural color to the teeth and remove tartar - you will get teeth whitening with ultrasound.

Modern dentistry helps to cope with all these discolorities( discoloration of teeth).But we must not forget that teeth whitening, as a medical procedure, has its own indications and contraindications.

The indication for teeth whitening is only the patient's desire to whiten one or more teeth, but there are many contraindications, they are divided into general and local.

General contraindications to teeth whitening:

• Pregnancy and lactation( bleaching can aggravate the manifestations of the so-called "gingivitis of pregnant women");
• Presence of an allergic reaction to peroxide compounds or latex cofferdam;
• Child's age;
• Local contraindications to teeth whitening:
• Presence of untreated caries and its complications of teeth. Before the whitening procedure, the oral cavity should be sanitized.
• Presence of non-carious lesions of the teeth( enamel fissures, enamel erosions, wedge-shaped defects, etc.);
• Orthodontic treatment;
• Presence of seals of doubtful quality( they must be replaced because of the unreliable quality of the edge seal of the seal);
• Periodontal disease;
• Presence of dental plaque( before the bleaching procedure, it is mandatory to conduct professional oral hygiene);
• Diseases of the oral mucosa;
• Non-compliance with the rules of oral hygiene;
• Presence of decorative linings on teeth( skays), as peroxides cause corrosion of metals.

Effects of teeth whitening

The procedure for teeth whitening entails certain undesirable consequences.

One of the problems can become an excessively white color of the teeth after the procedure, which from the natural will turn into the color of artificial teeth.

The second problem is more significant. It is about increasing the sensitivity of teeth, which can occur for 2-3 days, even after the first session of teeth whitening in the dental clinic. Even more a threat of increasing the sensitivity of enamel teeth during the secondary procedure.

It should also be remembered that in most cases the yellowish color of the tooth enamel, which patients so eager to get rid of, is the natural color of the teeth, and the yellowish enamel of the teeth is considered to be the most durable enamel. When trying long-term, "deep", lightening enamel loses some of its properties, and among them - strength. Therefore, even if the tooth enamel remains safe and does not get cracks, its quality will become worse.

The main problem of teeth whitening is associated with the available dental fillings. It consists in the fact that in the process of teeth whitening, gels are not able to change their color in the same way as they change the color of natural enamel - that is, the fillings will have to be renewed so that their color matches the color of the bleached teeth.

If you do not feel like going to the doctor. ..

Teeth whitening folk remedies at home

Until now, many patients, despite the possibility of professional bleaching, prefer folk methods. Perhaps the first place here is soda. For teeth whitening, a very concentrated solution is used, or it is simply added to the toothpaste. The effectiveness of this method is rather controversial, but frequent use can lead to abrasion of the enamel and, consequently, to increased sensitivity of the teeth. Soda is a very rough abrasive, it mechanically cleanses surface dirt, which determines its bleaching effect.

As well as such rough abrasives, ash and activated carbon are used. The effect of these uses is very unstable, and undesirable consequences can be a reason for resorting to the dentist.

In addition to the use of abrasive folk teeth whitening products, it is equally popular to rinse the oral cavity with hydrogen peroxide. But since its concentration is extremely low in comparison with professional bleach, the effect is practically not noticeable. In this case, hydrogen peroxide acts more like an antiseptic than a bleach.

Very often, soda and hydrogen peroxide are added to whitening toothpastes, which are worth a closer look at.

Tooth whitening toothpaste at home

The range of whitening toothpastes offered to us today is huge, and its choice often presents some difficulty for the patient. As a rule, people are guided either by advertising and brand awareness, or by the cost of the paste.

All whitening pastes can be conditionally divided into 2 groups - "mechanically" and "chemically" bleaching. The first group includes such pastes as "New pearls of Soda Bicarbonate", "32 BioNorma Antitobak", "ColgateWhitening", "SILCABeautyWhite", "PresidentWhite" and others, containing in their composition various abrasive substances - soda bicarbonate, dicalcium phosphate, silicon oxide oraluminium oxide. They are affordable enough( from 30 rubles), but they are effective only in cases when the cause of darkening of teeth is pigmented plaque.

To the second group - "chemically" whitening toothpastes - for example "Rembrandt Bleaching", "SILCAArcticWhite", "El-ceMed" and others containing components such as papain, pineapple extract, pentacalium tripolyphosphate, pentasodium tripolyphosphate,hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide. In this case, whitening is achieved by chemical dissolution of plaque and an oxidative reaction, which causes clarification of the enamel of the teeth. These pastes, as a rule, belong to premium-class pastes, and at cost significantly exceed the pastes of the first group( from 200-300 rubles), but their huge advantage is that the tooth enamel is not mechanically damaged, and the whitening effect is more noticeable.

Teeth care after bleaching.

Within 2-3 hours after teeth whitening by any method, you can not smoke and drink beverages and food that can color the tooth enamel. The fact that when you bleach your own cuticle( protective organic film) on the teeth is destroyed, and it is formed from saliva for 2-3 hours.

Regardless of which type of bleaching you prefer, there is a certain effect on the enamel of the tooth. The most common negative consequence of teeth whitening is their increased sensitivity. Therefore, after bleaching, it is always recommended to conduct fluoroprophylaxis, which reduces sensitivity. This can make a dentist, in the arsenal of which a large selection of drugs, and maybe the patient himself. To do this, for 3-6 weeks, you need to use toothpaste and rinse with fluoride and calcium, or containing the label "sensitive"( sensitive).

In the future, in order to maintain the whitening effect achieved, "support teeth whitening courses" should be carried out approximately once every six months, the choice of which depends on the bleaching method( from professional bleaching and oral hygiene to tooth whitening for a week).

So, teeth whitening is not such a harmless procedure, it is necessary to approach it with all responsibility and caution. In any case, it is better to contact a competent dentist, he will definitely help you!