Bleaching

Since times when the Romans used urine for the purpose, teeth bleaching (teeth whitening) has been a consistent goal of mankind. Dental bleaching, teeth swabbing, tooth whitening and other similar phrases refer to one of several bleaching options for those with stained, yellow or otherwise blemished teeth. These dental bleaching choices include:

In-Office Teeth Bleaching

Superior teeth bleaching results can be obtained with an in-office whitening session. In most cases a protective coating is painted onto the gums. This decreases any chance of getting chemically burned from the process. Next, carbamide peroxide is applied to the surfaces of the teeth. This solution can be anywhere from 3 to 16 percent hydrogen peroxide.

If elected, a patient may also add in the service of light acceleration. Using either LED, halogen or plasma lighting, the dental professional intensifies the teeth bleaching process by exciting the peroxide atoms with light energy. Care is taken to never overheat the pulp of the tooth being treated. This technique is also commonly called “power bleaching” and/or “laser bleaching”.
When light acceleration is used, the protective agent for the gums is stronger, and the percentage of hydrogen peroxide in the bleaching agent goes up to between 25 and 38%. Patients stay under the light between 6 and 15 minutes. The entire process lasts between 30 minutes and an hour in most cases.