Bleaching

Dental bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is a common procedure in general dentistry but most especially in the field of cosmetic dentistry. According to the FDA, whitening restores natural tooth color and bleaching whitens beyond the natural color. There are many methods available, such as brushing, bleaching strips, bleaching pen, bleaching gel, laser bleaching, and natural bleaching. Bleaching methods use carbamide peroxide which reacts with water to form hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide has about a third of the strength of hydrogen peroxide. This means that a 15% solution of carbamide peroxide is the rough equivalent of a 5% solution of hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide oxidizing agent penetrates the porosities in the rod-like crystal structure of enamel and bleaches stain deposits in the dentin. Power bleaching uses light energy to accelerate the process of bleaching in a dental office. Tooth bleaching is not a modern invention. Ancient Romans, for example, utilized urine and goat milk as a product to make and keep their teeth whiter.

A child's deciduous teeth are generally whiter than the adult teeth that follow. As a person ages the adult teeth often become darker due to changes in the mineral structure of the tooth, as the enamel becomes less porous and phosphate-deficient. Teeth can also become stained by bacterial pigments, food-goods and vegetables rich with carotenoids or xanthonoids. Certain antibacterial medications (like tetracycline) can also cause teeth stains or a reduction in the brilliance of the enamel. Ingesting colored liquids like coffee, tea and red wine can also discolor teeth.

At Delhi Dental Hub Dental Bleching is an integral part of Cosmetic / Wedding Smile Makeover. Many enquiries flow in at a regular basis for the same.

Other causes:

• Tetracycline Staining
• Enamel Hypoplasia
• Fluorosis
• Age of the tooth: the teeth become more yellow or opaque and generally
• Have a darker hue, usually after age of  50.
• Tea
• Coffee
• Tobacco ( tar and nicotine )
• Mate
• Wine and cola drinks consumed in excess
• Other foods and oral tobacco products with strong content of pigments
• Chlorhexidine (chemical bactericidal and bacteriostatic used as antiseptic in mouthwashes and toothpastes for the treatment of gingivitis and halitosis )

TYPES OF BLEACHING AT DELHI DENTAL HUB

In-office bleaching procedures generally use a light-cured protective layer that is carefully painted on the gums and papilla (the tips of the gums between the teeth) to reduce the risk of chemical burns to the soft tissues. The bleaching agent is either carbamide peroxide, which breaks down in the mouth to form hydrogen peroxide, or hydrogen peroxide itself. The bleaching gel typically contains between 10% and 44% carbamide peroxide, which is roughly equivalent to a 3% to 16% hydrogen peroxide concentration.

Power or light-accelerated bleaching, sometimes colloquially referred to as laser bleaching  uses light energy to accelerate the process of bleaching in a dental office. Different types of energy can be used in this procedure, with the most common being halogen, LED, or plasma arc. Clinical trials have demonstrated that among these three options, halogen light is the best source for producing optimal treatment results.The ideal source of energy should be high energy to excite the peroxide molecules without overheating the pulp of the tooth. Lights are typically within the blue light spectrum as this has been found to contain the most effective wavelengths for initiating the hydrogen peroxide reaction. A power bleaching treatment typically involves isolation of soft tissue with a resin-based, light-curable barrier, application of a professional dental-grade hydrogen peroxide whitening gel (25-38% hydrogen peroxide), and exposure to the light source for 6–15 minutes. Recent technical advances have minimized heat and ultraviolet emissions, allowing for a shorter patient preparation procedure. Most power teeth whitening treatments can be done in approximately 30 minutes to one hour, in a single visit to a dentist.

Internal bleaching procedures are performed on devitalized teeth that have undergone endodontic therapy ( "Root Canal") but are discolored due to internal staining of the tooth structure by blood and other fluids that leaked in. Unlike external bleaching, which brightens teeth from the outside in, internal bleaching brightens teeth from the inside out. Bleaching the tooth internally involves drilling a hole to the pulp chamber, cleaning, sealing, and filling the root canal with a rubber-like substance, and placing a peroxide gel into the pulp chamber so the gel can work directly inside the tooth on the dentin layer.In this variation of whitening the peroxide is sealed within the tooth over a period of some days and replaced as needed, the so-called "walking bleach" technique.

Teeth whitening commercial products intended for home use include gels, chewing gums, rinses, toothpastes, strips among others.The ADA has published a list of accepted over-the-counter whitening products to help people choose appropriate whitening products.High-concentration home bleaching uses carbamide peroxide. Whitening is performed by applying a high concentration of oxidizing agent to the teeth with thin plastic trays for a short period of time, which produces quick results. The application trays ideally should be well-fitted to retain the bleaching gel, ensuring even and full tooth exposure to the gel. Trays will typically stay on the teeth for about 15–20 minutes. Trays are then removed and the procedure is repeated up to two more times.

Low concentration whitening is far less effective. Low concentration whitening involves purchasing a thin mouthguard or strip that holds a relatively low concentration of oxidizing agent next to the teeth for as long as several hours a day for a period of 5 to 14 days. Results can vary, depending on which application is chosen, with some people achieving whiter teeth in a few days, and others seeing very little results or no results at all. Dentists as well as some dental laboratories can make custom fitted whitening trays that will greatly improve the results achieved with an over-the-counter whitening method.