There are a bunch of ways you can whiten your teeth. Quite simply, teeth get whiter by first removing the surface stains on your teeth. Then, if you want it even whiter, you can bleach your teeth.
People don’t like the term “teeth-bleaching”. It just means that we are applying a peroxide based product on your teeth. You have to do this with caution. So, always perform teeth bleaching under supervision of your dentist.
Once you have the clearance from your dentist, that your teeth and gums are decay-free and healthy, you can bleach your teeth with a home kit.
SLOW AND LOW
Personally, this is my favoured way to teeth bleach. I can control the result, and it is cheap and easily repeated. Remember this phrase: “slow and low”.
The safest and most effective way to bleach your teeth is to use a peroxide-based teeth whitening product is to do it slowly and gradually, with multiple applications over days to weeks, with a low concentration of the peroxide gel.
Peroxide gels with “professional strength” can vary from 10% to 35% carbamide peroxide. The 10% carbamide peroxide is best to use overnight. The table below gives you a rough guide.
|
Carbamide Peroxide Gel concentration |
Whitening time |
|
10% |
Overnight |
|
15% |
2-4 hours |
|
20% - 22% |
1 hour |
|
32% - 35% |
20-30 minutes |
I use medicament stents to hold the peroxide gel. These are thin rubberised trays that form-fitted for my teeth. You can also use removable clear retainers (use pictures). Make sure they fit well on your teeth and are designed with scallop margins (curved around the contours of your gums) (use picture).
PRE AND POST BLEACHING PREP
Before I start teeth bleaching my teeth, I will get a professional clean to maximise the effectiveness of the gel on a clean tooth surface.
I consistently use a remineralising agent on my teeth everyday, so I don’t have to do anything extra before i start teeth bleaching. The method to keep the teeth strong through the teeth bleaching process is simple. I use a hydroxyapatite toothpaste as my regular toothpaste and simply NOT RINSE after my brushing.
If you like to rinse out your toothpaste, then please change your habit or simply use a CPP-ACP product on your teeth every night. (See Home-care Maintenance article).
THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP
After the teeth bleaching process, I will brush my teeth again. This time I rinse thoroughly to ensure I have removed all the peroxide gel in my mouth. Then I smear a layer of hydroxyapatite toothpaste that I have placed on my finger, all over my teeth to be left on the teeth. You can use CPP-ACP or regular fluoride toothpaste if you like. Make sure the toothpaste is white.
What you do after the bleaching process so important. When you remove the gel from your teeth and it is cleanly whitened, the surfaces of these teeth will be rapidly covered by saliva and a biofilm will form. This biofilm is initially colourless
By leaving white toothpaste on my teeth, I am staining my teeth white.
Try this simple hack for optimum results for your whitening.