The dental surgeon Dr. Amalia Panayiotou gives us important tips on teeth whitening and a beautiful smile.

The dental surgeon Dr. Amalia Panayiotou offers valuable advice on the topic of whitening, the procedure, and its purpose.

WHAT IS WHITENING

Whitening “rinses out” the pigments from the enamel, making the teeth whiter.

WHAT IS IT FOR

When the natural bright color of enamel has turned yellow, brown, or gray—essentially when it has lost its whiteness—whitening removes those pigments. Also, when teeth have been devitalized and gradually darkened, whitening becomes necessary to make them whiter.

IT IS NOT PAINFUL

Whitening is a painless procedure for most patients. However, for some people, it may cause sensitivity in teeth, especially when there are fractures or exposed roots. In this case, the sensitivity stops as soon as whitening is discontinued. Tooth sensitivity and gum irritation are the most common side effects of whitening, but they subside within a few days.

THE PROCEDURE

It is a conservative method, simple, painless, quick, and safe, which however must always be performed with the assistance or supervision of the dentist. There are three techniques for teeth whitening. The first is the one performed in the clinic by the dentist in an appointment lasting about one hour with the help of a laser. The second technique is whitening done at home by the patient with special whitening trays (mouthguards), specially made for each patient by the dentist, inside which the whitening material is placed and the application process is done for several consecutive days. The third technique is a combination of the two above techniques.

AT WHAT AGE CAN YOU DO WHITENING

Whitening can be done at any age over 18 years for permanent dentition to be complete. As for elderly patients, they will really be surprised if they learn about the possibilities whitening offers them.

IMPORTANT STEPS BEFORE WHITENING

Dental problems such as cavities must be treated before whitening. When teeth have open cavities from decay, the whitening substance can pass through them and cause damage to the pulp (nerve) of the tooth. Whitening can make your teeth sensitive to cold and acidic foods, but this sensitivity is temporary. Whitening cannot change the color of ceramic crowns, veneers, or old fillings. The action of the whitening agent on the surfaces of the tooth will change its shade, while the materials possibly used for fillings and prosthetic restorations will remain unaffected by the whitening agents and will maintain their original color. However, even in this case, whitening can be done and afterward these fillings or restorations can be replaced. Before any whitening, a dental cleaning of tartar (calculus) and plaque is performed. Absolute contraindications for whitening are incomplete formation of dental tissues (imperfect amelogenesis and imperfect dentinogenesis).

WHAT TO AVOID AFTER WHITENING

For two hours after whitening, you should not smoke, drink coffee, tea, cola-type soft drinks, red wine, ready-made juices that may contain synthetic coloring, nor eat beets, carrots, strawberries, cherries, berries, potato chips, or processed foods. Also, avoid colored salty snacks served with alcoholic beverages.

DURATION OF WHITENING

The average duration of whitening ranges from one to five years and depends on the quality and natural color of the teeth (it has been proven that whitening lasts longer on yellowish teeth), the method chosen (whitening in the clinic combined with whitening at home achieves better results), compliance with the dentist’s instructions and taking maintenance doses of whitening (once a year at the clinic), limiting habits that affect tooth color (smoking, coffee, etc.), and overall good oral hygiene.

IT IS NOT DANGEROUS FOR THE TOOTH ENAMEL

Although this was believed in the past, today research has shown that whitening agents do not destroy tooth enamel. As long as safety rules are followed and excesses are avoided.

For more advice or questions, feel free to contact Dr. Amalia P. Panayiotou at 25251353.