Dental Bleaching Methods

Cosmetic dentistry is one of the many growing practices of dentistry that mainly involves the improvement of the aesthetics of teeth. There are several practices offered by cosmetic dentists, one of which is dental bleaching. Dental bleaching, also known as tooth bleaching or teeth whitening, is the practice in which a cosmetic dentist aesthetically improves the color of their patient's teeth by use of several whitening methods. These methods may include the use of agents such as bleaching agents and in-office procedures such as the use of lasers.

Bleaching Agents

Bleaching agents may involve the simple use of a toothpaste. According to the cosmetic dentist hollywood, toothpaste typically has small particles of silica, aluminum oxide, calcium carbonate, or calcium phosphate to grind off stains formed by colored molecules that have lodged onto the teeth from food. Unlike bleaches, whitening toothpaste does not alter the intrinsic color of teeth. Through proper practice of oral hygiene, people could easily maintain the color of their teeth and avoid any discoloration. But there are instances in which the use of toothpastes aren't enough to provide whiter teeth, such as those discolored due to old age.

The use of agents containing peroxide have also been widely used both at home and in-office. These agents are commonly known as bleaching gels, and similar to toothpastes, it can be easily purchased as an OTC (over-the-counter) product. Off-the-shelf products typically rely on a carbamide peroxide solution varying in concentration from 10% to 22%. Bleaching solutions may be applied directly to the teeth, embedded in a plastic strip that is placed on the teeth or use a gel held in place by a mouthguard. Because the concentration is typically low to avoid toxicity, whitening often takes several weeks. Whitening treatments used by the cosmetic dentist hollywood, however, are much more concentrated, containing substances with more than 30% hydrogen peroxide, and require protection of the soft tissues.

Laser Whitening

Laser bleaching, also known as power bleaching, uses light energy to accelerate the process of bleaching in a dental office. Different types of energy can be used in this procedure. The ideal source of energy should be high energy to excite the peroxide molecules without overheating the pulp of the tooth, creating an inflammatory response. The use of an argon laser to safely and effectively speed up the whitening process is ideal for laser bleaching. An argon laser is preferred over the use of an arc lamp (the traditional dental method of light-activated bleaching) or infrared laser because it does not exhibit any of the heat or UV ray emissions of the arc lamp. Chemical burns, which are occasionally a side-effect of gel bleaching, or heat-induced sensitivity, are not factors with argon laser whitening.

The main advantage of using this method of teeth whitening, according to the cosmetic dentist hollywood is that most laser teeth whitening treatments can be done in approximately 1 hour, in a single visit to a dental physician, (depending on the condition of a person's teeth).