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but were afraid to ask about: Tooth Whitening by Charles Wilson D.D.S.T ooth whitening has become very popular in the last few years for a very simple reason. Just about everyone would like to have whiter teeth and a new technique was discovered a few years ago that makes it possible!Like most great discoveries, it was discovered by accident! This new technique of’Home Tooth Whitening was discovered in the 1960’s by an orthodontist in Little Rock, Arkansas. One of his patients had a sore on his gums and he treated it by placing an oral medicated gel called "Gly-oxide" in an orthodontic positioner (that covered the teeth). To his surprise, the Gly-oxide caused his patient’s teeth to become whiter! He then began to offer this service to his other patients. Gradually this technique was shared by word of mouth among dentists until a dentist at the University of North Carolina Dental School published a paper about it in a 1989 dental journal. In the last ten years Home Bleaching has taken off like a rocket!Also during these last 10 years the technique has been developed and refined until it has become consistent and effective in it’s results. There are two primary aspects to home tooth whitening. The first is the active ingredient - Carbamide Peroxide ("CP" for short). That is what the Gly-oxide had in it that made it work. All home tooth whitening gels have this sonic active ingredient; the only significant differences are in acidity, gel thickness, and concentration of CP. CP is actually a very mild bleaching agent (that is why it is safe to use in the mouth) and because it is so mild, it tines not work very well unless it is held intimately to the tooth surface for hours at a time. Therefore the second key aspect to home tooth whitening is the use of comfortable, custom made trays. We custom fit the tray to your teeth out of very soft, thin material that is very comfortable and can be worn for many hours at a time. Are there problems with Home Tooth Whitening? As is true with every dental procedure, there are potential problems that have to be considered. Here are two areas that should be mentioned. 1) The most common complaint is tooth sensitivity. Some of our patients notice temporary tooth sensitivity immediately after the trays are removed and it normally goes away within a few hours. The problem is normally solved by using a milder strength of whitening gel and/or using a fluoride gel in between whitening treatments. 2) There can be problems with existing white fillings in your front teeth. When you whiten your teeth, old fillings and porcelain crowns do not whiten. These older restorations can then appear too dark or yellow compared to your whitened teeth. Also whitening can accelerate the natural aging process of white ("composite") fillings. If older white restorations are defective and need to be replaced, we normally do so after the teeth have been whitened so that they can match perfectly. These problems are usually easily solvable but you can see why it is important that you have your tooth whitening done by a quality dental office that you can trust. 02/10/2000 |
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