Your smile is generally the first thing you notice about someone and over time our teeth maylose their bright white sparkle. No matter how well you brush and floss your teeth, there are a number of different lifestyle factors that can cause teeth discolouration;
- Generalised aging which causes the tooth enamel to wear away, showing more of the yellow coloured dentine underneath
- Food and drinks such as tea, coffee, red wine and high coloured foods can cause staining
- Tobacco can also cause staining on teeth
- Some medications can cause staining
- Dental trauma causing the teeth to become darkened or grey
At Pimpama City Dental Centre on the Gold Coast, we offer two different options for teeth whitening. The type of whitening required will depend on your individual teeth and desires. Before the treatment, a thorough examination and clean is required to ensure there are no existing cavities and the teeth are nice and clean prior to whitening. The two options available for whitening are an in-chair treatment in our Gold Coast dentistry and a take-home treatment.
In-Chair Whitening
The procedure begins by placing a barrier to protect your gums. This is followed by the placement of the whitening gel, which is left on for a period of time, removed and then reapplied.
This will be done several times throughout the procedure, and the entire treatment takes approximately one and a half hours. Results are instant, which may be desirable for those who are time-poor and want a quick result.
Take-Home Whitening
During an appointment with the dentist, impressions are taken of your teeth to construct your custom-made whitening trays. Once your whitening kit is ready to be picked up, we will instruct you on the use of the whitening kit and answer any questions you may have.
Take-home whitening trays should be worn for 2-4 hours per day for approximately 7-10 days.
Costs of Tooth Whitening
Some health funds may contribute to the cost of whitening, with some even covering the entire cost.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced dentists on the Gold Coast, please phone our friendly team.
FAQ Teeth Whitening
No! Teeth whitening will not damage or harm your enamel. The hard, protective outer layer of the tooth is considered one of the hardest tissues in the human body. Even though enamel is the outermost layer of the tooth, the layer underneath the enamel (dentin) is the one that actually absorbs most of the stain and discolouration. The whitening product travels through tiny tubules in the enamel through to the dentin and begins to lighten the tissue.
While baking soda my remove some small surface stains on teeth, because of its abrasiveness it can also damage tooth enamel. Baking soda can also disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in the mouth. This imbalance can speed up the build-up of plaque on the teeth.
Much the same as baking soda, activated charcoal can remove some surface stains on the teeth. It can also be abrasive so can wear away at the tooth enamel if used regularly. There is no solid evidence that charcoal does, in fact, whiten teeth.
Although most of the ingredients for whitening seem to be present in the toothpaste they will have little effect. For the product to make any change to the colour of the teeth it needs a minimum of 20 minutes contact with the teeth. This is much longer than the standard 2 minutes that is usually advised to brush for.
Unfortunately, this is not true. As our body ages so do our teeth. Aging can cause the teeth to discolour even if they have been whitened. Lifestyle factors will also have an effect on our tooth colour. Things like red wine, tea, curry, and smoking can discolour our teeth.
Whitening procedures performed at your dentist are the safest and most effective by far. Here at your local Family Dental Clinic Pimpama, we can perform in chair whitening and we also offer to take home whitening kits.
Following a dental examination to make sure there are no cavities or disease present in the mouth the dentist can whiten your teeth in the chair. This procedure involves a bleaching gel being applied to the teeth which are then activated by a focused light. In- chair whitening can take up to 90 minutes and produces instant results. For the take-home kits, the dentist will take impressions of your mouth and construct customised bleaching trays designed specifically to fit your teeth. You can expect to start seeing results with take-home whitening after about 5 days of treatment.