teeth whitening dentist

So, you’ve read a lot of articles prior to this one, about the teeth whitening process at the dentist. Perhaps, that’s what brings you here! What did you learn from them? Did you find the exact steps that are involved in professional teeth whitening? Were the steps easily navigable? Well, don’t worry! You’ve landed on the right destination if you want to know how teeth are whitened at the dentist, step-by-step.

First things first, your teeth have pores. Over the years, some microscopic materials from the food that you’ve eaten, have found their ways into these pores, resulting in deep stains that can’t be removed no matter how hard you brush! So how does a professional teeth whitening session give you perfectly white teeth?

Steps involved in professional teeth whitening

Checking the shade

The dentist will first record the shade of your teeth. This is to get an idea about the degree to which your teeth have to be whitened. It will also help the dentist to figure out how concentrated the whitening solution has to be to get that shade.

Cleaning and polishing 

The dentist will then use pumice to clean and polish your teeth. The whitening agent is best absorbed by a dry surface, and thus, your dentist may even keep a gauze pad in your mouth for some while.

Cleaning your teeth also helps in getting rid of any existing plaque from your teeth, before whitening. The dentist will then use retractors to keep your gums, tongue, and lips from interfering with the whitening agent.

Coating with the whitening agent

Hydrogen peroxide solution, which is the best bleaching agent known for teeth whitening will be used to coat your teeth. The frontal side of your teeth will be coated, while the posterior side will be left out. This is because the purpose of whitening your teeth is just to improve the aesthetics of your smile, and the backside of your teeth doesn’t show no matter how wide you smile!

The solution temporarily opens up the pores in your teeth, penetrating them and fighting off the stains from within to whiten your teeth. The coating would stay on your teeth for nearly half an hour before the dentist decides to proceed to the next step.

Rinsing 

Your mouth will then be rinsed, thoroughly. This is to get rid of any residue of the solution. Do not be surprised if the dentist decides to brush your teeth as well. This is probably because the next step involves fluoride treatment!

The fluoride treatment

Your teeth will finally be brushed with fluoride varnish. Fluoride is given to keep the shine of your teeth and sustain the whiteness you’ve just achieved. Besides, fluoride also helps in getting rid of any existing plaque in your mouth, since they work as a catalyst in staining your teeth! And that’s all with the whitening process! The ADA warns that there might be a little bit of temporary tooth sensitivity after teeth whitening. However, it goes away in no time!

Want to sustain that whiteness for a long time to come? Generally, it doesn’t last longer than 6 months. However, keep away from coffee, smoking, and starchy foods, just to name a few to elongate the life of the whiteness in your teeth!

Village Family Dental

Author: Village Family Dental

Dr. Paul Hung of Village Family Dental - Dentist in Duncanville has been serving in and around Dallas for more than a few years now. Read more