How many times do we see articles on television and in print about the incredible pressures on today’s society to look good? How many of us would admit to not being totally happy with the way we look? How many of us know that many of the images we see in print have been digitally manipulated? How many of us have considered teeth whitening or considered dental treatment to gain that famous Hollywood smile?
The four questions raised above should make you think about how you have been effected by the constant appearances of people with perfect skin, superb figures and shiny white Hollywood smiles. However much we try to convince ourselves that we are perfectly happy with our bodies deep down a large percentage of the population have at least one or two things which they would like to improve and, increasingly, having teeth whitening treatment or other dental work done is appearing in the list.
When we see the models in the glossy magazine, more often than not, they will have a gleaming smile with shiny white teeth. However, you will also notice that the whites of their eyes are often pure white and their skin is blemish free. However in reality they may have one or two spots and a rather dull set of teeth. The images you see have been digitally enhanced to make the image perfect but in processing the image the publisher is portraying a false image.
The most basic classification of teeth whitening treatment is home whitening and profession teeth whitening treatments but these methods can be used solitary or together. Below you will see some of the various techniques practiced today.
Nearly all teeth whitening treatments involve the use of a bleaching agent of one type or another. The quality of such treatments can vary greatly and the techniques can differ slightly. The most common treatments are those available over the counter and those only available in the dental surgery with both sometimes being used. Laser and internal bleaching are two other methods of whitening teeth.
There are many over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening products and the best contain a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide which is a powerful bleaching agent which bleaches the teeth white. Contained in an OTC teeth whitening kit is usually a special mouth tray in which the bleaching agent can be poured. The trays, one for the top set of teeth and one for the bottom set, are placed into the mouth and left in situ for around half an hour.
Alternatively you may wish to try professional teeth whitening. This treatment is performed in the dental surgery and also involves the use of a bleaching agent and mouth tray. How this treatment differs from home treatments is that a stronger solution can be used. Furthermore various types of light emitting equipment are used to enhance the effectiveness of the whitening gel.
Increasingly common these days is the use of the two methods together. This method is referred to as ‘combined teeth whitening’. Usually the home treatments are carried out for a short period before the professional treatment is performed in the dental surgery. Following this treatment the patient continues to use OTC treatments to maintain the whiteness but may return for further professional treatments as and when they are required.
A different approach is taken for the treatment called internal bleaching. As the name suggests it is the interior of the tooth that is whitened in this treatment so it is common to include one of the above treatment to bleach the exterior surface of the tooth. In this treatment a bleaching agent is injected into the tooth and allowed to work for a week before it is removed and the entry point permanently sealed.