At Dental Excellence* we offer two options to
lighten vital (live) teeth, the BEYONDTM in office power whitening system and Discus
Dental® Nite White or Day White take-home system. We can also bleach non-vital teeth that have discoloured after root canal treatment.
Why
should I have a dental professional lighten my teeth?
All the
above treatments can only be delivered by a registered dental
professional. Only Dentists and Dental Hygienists are licensed to
diagnose dental decay and gum disease. These conditions
must be treated before you have your teeth lightened, otherwise pain and
damage to teeth and gums can occur. Bleaching is a very safe procedure
but there are a few situations where bleaching is not recommended.
We take a thorough medical history to assess whether this applies to
you.
There are
many options to lighten your teeth being offered today. However,
unregistered service providers are restricted in the concentration of
bleaching agents they can use and cannot diagnose or treat other dental
disorders prior to lightening your teeth. Most also do not apply
any protective gum barrier material, and often they only carry out a
single application of gel & whitening accelerator.
Note: Bleaching will not alter the
colour of your fillings and crowns. These may need replacement
with lighter shade restorations after bleaching is complete.
Bleaching should not be done if there is any gum disease, decay or
leaking fillings.
The
in-office protocol we use calls for the placement of protective barriers
on your gums and lips. In severe cases a pre-treatment agent is
applied. Next, three, sometimes even four, 8 minute applications
of high concentration gel & the whitening accelerator light are
applied.
Advanced
Technology Ensures Safety, Comfort, and Results
>Most advanced light filtration system of any power whitening
system ensures patient safety
and comfort
>Harmful ultraviolet light and heat are filtered out through a
coated optical lens and over 12,000
optical fibers
>Powerful 150 watt halogen bulb emits a high-intensity blue light
(480-520 nanometers
wavelength) for faster whitening results
>Operates at a lower temperature than similar products, increasing
patient comfort levels and
decreasing the risk of developing tooth
sensitivity
>Chair-side, cold-light, power whitening accelerator lamp
>Whitens teeth between five to 14 shades, with an average
improvement of eight shades, in three
consecutive 10 minute sessions
>Very effective for teeth that have been stained by smoking or by
consuming staining substances
such as coffee, tea, or red wine
>Also whitens teeth discolored by certain medicines, such as
tetracycline, or speckled by
fluoride
Vital bleaching systems have
been developed over the years to the point that they now provide a
useful and safe way of lightening teeth. There could be some
relapse over a period of time, but this can be reversed with a short
duration "touch-up" bleaching session. The bleaching
process can be carried out in the dental surgery using stronger
"power-bleach" products or by using bleaching gel placed in a
bleaching tray and worn at home or work. There are several
products from various manufacturers that require differing periods of
wear each day ranging from 30 minutes twice daily to several hours each
day. A product can be selected to suit your lifestyle. Most
home use systems require one to two weeks of treatment.
Non-vital
Bleaching (bleaching
teeth that have had the nerve or pulp removed)
This may be a rather extreme example of single tooth discoloration
following trauma, but if it is your tooth it is no joke. Not all these
teeth can be treated successfully with bleaching. Many require crowns or
veneers.
This
tooth was successfully treated with internal, non-vital bleaching. After
a successful root
canal treatment was completed and the pulp chamber sealed, the
hollowed out crown of the tooth was filled with a bleaching paste and
then sealed with a temporary filling. The bleaching paste was
replaced every week until the desired lightness was achieved. The
bleaching paste and temporary filling were removed and a permanent
restoration placed.
The
in-office protocol we use calls for the placement of protective barriers
on your gums and lips. In severe cases a pre-treatment agent is
applied. Next, three, sometimes even four, 8 minute applications
of high concentration gel & the whitening accelerator light are
applied.
