Dr. Andrew D. Gruver is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Tooth Whitening.
Q. What is tooth whitening?
A. The whitening of teeth refers to removing discoloring stains that are within the structure of a tooth (intrinsic stains).Teeth naturally will discolor over time through ingestion of minerals (usually found naturally in drinking water), coffee, teas, cola, certain medications, tobacco, trauma and yes, of course, age. Sometimes, some of us are just born with darker looking teeth. Stains on the surface of a tooth (extrinsic stains) can be removed by professional dental cleaning and sometimes with whitening toothpastes. Those whitening toothpastes will not change the color of a tooth, only help to keep stains off a tooth. To actually change the color of a tooth, a strong whitening gel (either carbamide peroxide or concentrated hydrogen peroxide…not bleach) must be in extended contact with the surface of a tooth. The peroxide penetrates the surface of the teeth, oxidizing the staining material thereby removing it.
Q. Who may benefit from teeth whitening?
A. Anyone with a fully erupted set of teeth may undergo whitening.
Q. Who are not recommended to undergo teeth whitening?
A. Those for whom whitening is not indicated are those with active cavities, untreated gum disease and those with "super sensitive" teeth unless desensitization can be accomplished.
Q. What does tooth whitening involve? How long does this take? How much does tooth whitening cost?
A. There are three main methods to whiten teeth:
- In office whitening
- Professionally dispensed take home whitening kits with custom-made trays
- Over the counter whitening kits
In office whitening allows for significant whitening in a very short period of time. The dentist or trained technician applies a highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel to the teeth, after isolating and protecting the gum tissue with a paint-on rubber dam, and then exposes the whitening gel to a special light for 15-20 minute intervals. The gel is removed, the color assessed and the whitening gel is reapplied for up to 4 cycles. Once the in office whitening is completed, the patient is sent home with a home use whitening system (custom trays and whitening gel) to stabilize the whitening that was achieved, make it long lasting and to "touch-up" the whitening as needed. Average cost for in office whitening is around $600.00.
Professionally dispensed take home whitening starts with the dentist or dental assistant obtaining models of the patient’s teeth. From those models, custom, flexible trays are constructed that fit precisely onto the teeth. A lower concentration peroxide gel is then provided to the patient and, at home, a small amount of the gel is placed into the whitening trays and worn on the teeth for a prescribed period of time, usually anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour once per day for 10 to 14 days. This slower whitening process is stable and only needs periodic touching up. Typical costs are $350 to $400.
Over the counter whitening kits come in the form of strips, one size fits all trays or paint on applicators. The concentration of the whitening gel is far less than what is found at a dentist’s office. In many cases, these methods may only whiten a few of the front teeth unlike custom trays that will whiten an entire smile. Over the counter whitening costs from $20 to over $100.
Q. What are the side effects?
A. Tooth whitening procedures have been shown to be safe when used as directed. We cosmetic dentists have even treated deep set intrinsic stains with supervised at home whitening for several months and even up to a year without complication. However there are some side effects to teeth whitening:
Sensitivity - Whitening can cause a temporary sensitivity to temperature, pressure and touch. Again, this is transient and lasts from a few hours to a few days or rarely up to a month. Those with faulty fillings, cracks in the enamel of the tooth or gum recession are more prone to sensitivity. To reduce the likelihood for problems, patients are advised to have leaking fillings replaced and to use an anti-sensitivity toothpaste for two weeks prior to whitening.
Gum irritation - Contact of the whitening materials with the gums can cause an irritation. Cosmetic dentists attempt to minimize or eliminate such a problem by protecting the gum tissues with a paint on rubber dam during in office whitening and "scalloping" the custom trays so that they follow the outline of the teeth keeping clear of the gum tissues.
Multicolored teeth - Fillings, porcelain or acrylic crowns and facings, bonding and any other artificial material will not whiten. The teeth surrounding these restorations will whiten resulting in multicolored teeth.
Q. How to contact Dr. Gruver if we have further questions?
A.
Address:
810 Landmark Drive, Suite 114
Glen Burnie, Maryland, 21061
Telephone: (410) 766-2744
Fax: (410) 766-0227
Email:info@landmarksmiles.com
Website: http://www.landmarksmiles.com/
