Teeth will gradually become more discolored over time. Some people wish to bring their teeth closer to their original color and therefore opt for teeth whitening. Teeth whitening is always preceded by an examination and teeth cleaning. This is done to ensure that there are no oral health issues before starting the whitening process, and by cleaning the teeth, one ensures a more uniform and attractive result by removing any build-up on the teeth. Sometimes, individual teeth may become discolored due to root canal treatment or trauma. In such cases, the specific tooth can be whitened using a procedure called internal bleaching. If the result is still not aesthetically pleasing, it may be necessary to consider placing a veneer or composite filling on the tooth afterwards.
At Tandlægerne Classensgade, our whitening treatments are done as home whitening. It is a treatment that takes about 14 days and provides a beautiful, predictable, and long-lasting result. Alternatively, clinic whitening can be done, where the whitening takes place at the clinic and takes about 2 hours. The reason we use home whitening is that we believe the result is more predictable. The general recommendation is to whiten for 14 days, but if the result looks nice after 9-10 days, why not stop there to avoid getting refrigerator-white teeth? Some individuals may benefit from whitening a few days more than the recommended 14 days, and if that's the case, just continue. Additionally, with home whitening, both the front and back of the tooth are whitened. This will provide a more aesthetic result.
The whitening process starts with taking an impression of the teeth, from which a plaster model of the teeth is made. Some trays are made on the model to hold the whitening agent on the teeth. The actual whitening sessions take place daily or every night at home. A drop is placed in the tray for each tooth, which is then placed over the recently brushed teeth.
At Classensgade Dentists, we have the equipment to manufacture the whitening trays ourselves. This means that teeth whitening can be started very quickly after the impressions are taken. If desired, we can complete it from morning to late afternoon.
Of course, it is interesting to know how long the effect of bleaching lasts. The durability is very dependent on lifestyle, but a good estimate is 2-3 years. If you frequently consume colored foods, such as red wine, coffee, etc., your teeth will typically darken faster. Smoking is also a cause of teeth discoloration. While the bleaching process is ongoing and for about 1 week after, it is a good idea to reduce the intake of colored foods as the teeth are particularly susceptible to colorants during that period. After that, there is no change in susceptibility to discoloration compared to before the bleaching.
