Teeth whitening with a lamp - single visit

A smile is one of the most important elements assessed during contacts with other people. Perfectly white teeth are the best business card. However, "Hollywood" white does not actually occur in nature. This is the effect of improving the smile with the help of veneers or crowns - as a popular treatment used by the actors.

Teeth whitening with a lamp - characteristics

The natural color of the teeth depends on the degree of dentin mineralization and ranges from yellow-brown to blue-blue in color, the tooth color is always an individual feature. Our teeth are additionally influenced by many factors that cause discoloration. Causes of discoloration are different, it can be coffee, tea or red wine, as well as smoking. Not everyone knows that popular mouthrinhes containing chlorhexidine can leave a mark on the teeth when used for a long time.

In addition, the color changes take place with age. Teeth clash and reveal a darker dentine. Continuously developing dentistry meets the expectations of patients, offering various methods of teeth whitening. Teeth can be whitened at home using pastes, belts, finished bands molded by biting, overlays individually designed on the basis of tooth impressions and gels with safe concentration of hydrogen peroxide (5-15%). You must remember that whitening preparations for self-use buy in reliable sources!

Whitening in the office of the so-called "In-office technique" is the most safe and effective. Whitening preparations in the cabinet contain a higher concentration of "perhydrol" hydrogen peroxide because about 38% of Opalescence Xtra Boost. These preparations are usually prepared in the form of a gel in two syringes, which are mixed before application or in the form of a self-mixing syringe. To accelerate and enhance the effect, various types of accelerators are used in the form of light sources such as semiconductor, halogen, LED or plasma lasers. The most popular teeth whitening lamps are Beyond and Sapphire. Both lamps emit cold blue light with a wavelength between 480 and 520 nanometers. They filter red and infrared radiation, which significantly reduces the risk of overheating of the tooth's tissues. The Sapphire lamp additionally uses a crystal to diffuse the beam of light, which guarantees uniform whitening of all teeth.

Teeth whitening with a lamp - benefits

The effect of whitening teeth with a lamp due to the use of high-concentration preparations, especially with the use of additional energy sources, is obtained faster and with fewer applications. It gives a lot more control to the doctor who can protect the patient against some complications. thus, teeth whitening with a lamp is incomparably more effective and safer than known home methods. The unquestionable advantage of teeth whitening with a lamp is that only one session of teeth whitening with a lamp is enough, and the effect lasts even over two years. Home methods require a long use and often without a satisfactory effect.

Indications for the procedure

The most important indication for tooth whitening is primarily dissatisfaction with the color of your teeth and the desire to change. Ideal candidates are people who are planning important celebrations (wedding, meeting, banquet) or those that pay much attention to the appearance. It is often just about improving well-being, self-esteem which can be achieved very quickly by means of whitening.

Contraindications for the procedure

We do not do tooth whitening treatments:

• people at a young age (under 16 years of age)
• heavy smokers
• in case of allergy to the preparation ingredient
• in pregnant women (due to the condition of the gums)
• with bare teeth and roots
• with hypersensitivity
• when there are gum disease and periodontitis
• in case of enamel claws and fissures
• when extensive decay occurs
• with a large number of fillings in the anterior teeth
• in patients treated orthodontically with a fixed apparatus: not earlier than 4-6 weeks after its removal
• in the dead teeth: less bleaching treatment and often require whitening from the inside

Before the surgery

To obtain the most desired effect of teeth whitening with a lamp, it is recommended to perform professional tooth cleaning in the dental office preferably 2 weeks before the whitening (not on the same visit, because after bleeding gums may bleed making the procedure impossible).

Tooth cleaning consists of three stages:

1. Removal of the stone by means of an ultrasonic tip.
2. Sandblasting-fine sand: 50μm alumina in a stream of water under pressure perfectly removes external discoloration, making the tooth surface more susceptible to whitening.
3. Polishing teeth with a brush and a special paste. It is worth remembering that if we have small fillings on the front teeth, they should not be replaced before bleaching.

Only after bleaching and stabilizing the color (which lasts about 2 weeks) can you replace the fillings to make them fully aesthetic and color-matched.

Type of anaesthesia

When you whiten your teeth with a lamp, we do not use any anaesthesia. The whole procedure lasts about 1 hour, however, it may be interrupted earlier in the case of very strong hypersensitivity shortly after application and operation of the lamp.

How does the procedure work?

The procedure of teeth whitening with a lamp is preceded by a detailed conversation with the patient regarding indications and contraindications for bleaching. Also about the possibilities of obtaining the effect by the patient. Each case is considered individually. The patient should sign a permission for whitening.

Before the tooth whitening procedure the doctor evaluates the color of the teeth, takes the picture with a professional photo camera in comparison with the color selected from the colorant (universal Vita color). The next step is to set up a retractor, whose task is to move the soft tissues away from the teeth as well as the tongue. Cosmetic vaseline can be applied to the lips for isolation from the whitening preparation.

The next step is to isolate the gums so as to avoid contact with the preparation. For this purpose, a special layer of Opal Dam protective resin is applied (this is a protective light-curing resin, reflecting light and sticking to the tooth passively.) Its methacrylate base creates a sufficient protective barrier, and at the same time it is easily removed after the treatment from the interdental spaces and arcades - is it is the so-called liquid cofferdam, the layer of which is about 0.5 mm placed along the course of the gum and also in interdental papilla.

Then, we light with a lamp for the polymerization of fillings. So isolated gums will not burn with bleaching agent. After that the patient gets protective goggles and the dentist proceeds to apply the previously prepared whitening gel. The gel is not applied to entire dental arches, only to the right and left premolars in the maxilla and jaw on the buccal side.

Effects after surgery

The effect of tooth whitening teeth can last from 1-3 years. After this time regress occurs and the color returns to its original state. It should be remembered that the whitening effect is difficult to predict for a particular patient and depends on the construction of the enamel and the type of discoloration. It was found that in 10% of the population the enamel is not bleached at all. In addition, it has been experimentally determined that in most cases the whitening process continues for 12-24 hours after the procedure, so that teeth may bleach within the first 24 hours after bleaching. Teeth can whiten by 5-14 shades in a 16-point VITA scale.

Recommendations after the procedure

After teeth whitening with a lamp, the teeth are dehydrated and porous due to the loss of mineral substances - so they absorb all the dyes contained in the food like a sponge. Thus, for 2 weeks after whitening, a white diet applies, that is, consumption of neutral products: curd, white meat, milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.

Avoiding coffee, tea, wine as well as too cold and too hot drinks as well as sour drinks - drinking such as coca cola can significantly weaken the surface of bleached teeth. The patient also has to give up smoking - tar substances contained in cigarette smoke can stain teeth. Mild, colorless fluoride rinses should be used to reduce hypersensitivity and rebuild enamel microfoams. If the patient is not completely satisfied with the achieved effect, one can repeat the bleaching in the office after 2 weeks if there is no hypersensitivity or after a month if it occurs.

How long do the effects last after the treatment last?

The effects last from 2-3 years depending on the diet and maintaining the effects of whitening. Professional teeth cleaning at the dentist and the use of whitening pastes that slow down the return to the initial color, prolongs the time to have a snow-white smile.

Possible complications after the procedure

The most important and most frequently observed side effects of tooth whitening are the oversensitivity of dentin and irritation of the gums. The research shows that dentinal hypersensitivity affects approximately 15-65% of patients undergoing teeth whitening. At the same time, the same studies indicate that the complication is transient and the teeth hypersensitivity in most subjects undergoes 2-4 days after the end of the procedure. Gum irritation is quite common, but mild and quickly resolving side effects. In the case of agents available in the pharmacy, the occurrence of gum irritation was found after using the gel in standard overlays than with the whitening strips.

After teeth whitening in the office where liquid cofferdam provides optimal protection for the gums, irritation is rare. However, if it occurs in the form of a white erosion around the gum and usually disappears within 12 -24h. Another side effect of teeth whitening with the lamp is the change in the structure of the enamel - mainly the increase in porosity, which reduces the micro-hardness of tooth tissues, hence it is recommended to apply after fluoride preparations rich in fluoride to compensate for the resulting enamel defects. Moreover, after bleaching, the binding force of composite materials is disturbed for a period of about 2 weeks. Only after this period you can replace the fillings in the front teeth or put on the camera.

Recommended additional treatments after the procedure

After the office treatment of teeth whitening with a lamp, it is recommended to use fluoro rinses or toothpastes to overcome hypersensitivity. In the case of very strong hypersensitivity you can apply for fluoridation in the dental office. After professional whitening, do not bleach your teeth using home methods, or use strong whitening products immediately after the procedure. It can weaken your teeth and irreversibly destroy the enamel structure.

Author:
Kinga Dmochowska-Lisak, MD

Literature: Contemporary Kariologia, edited by Prof. zw. dr hab. n. med. Danuta Piątkowska; Conservative dentistry, edited by Zbigniew Jańczuk