A snow-white smile is a sign of beauty and one of the attributes of a successful and modern person, especially a public one. If nature has not rewarded you with white teeth or you have spoiled the ideal state of affairs with bad habits, do not be discouraged. Everything can be corrected. And to get a white smile really not only in the office at the dentist, but at home while watching your favorite movie.
What is whitening?
The procedure of artificial teeth whitening involves the mechanical or chemical destruction of the upper layer of enamel. The enamel becomes thinner, the underlying tissues are exposed, the teeth become more sensitive to the effects.
Mechanical whitening
The safest kind of bleaching. This is an effective hygienic procedure for the removal of tartar and food plaque. Usually, mechanical bleaching is carried out using a special apparatus that emits a stream of water containing sodium bicarbonate onto the teeth under considerable pressure. Mechanical whitening is inherently a classic tooth brushing. It should be carried out about once every six months or a year. If you drink a lot of coffee or smoke, you will have to visit the dentist more often. If you wear braces, you need to clean it once every three months. If you regularly care for the oral cavity (brush your teeth twice a day for three minutes), then you need to do the brushing once a year.
Chemical whitening
This is a special preparation applied to the clean teeth, which whitens them during the activation process. Urea and peroxide in its composition are responsible for this. Depending on the different whitening systems, the combination of these ingredients changes: in the clinic it will be one, in the home whitening system it will be different (in low concentration so as not to burn the gums). Homemade bleaching can be in the form of strips, individual caps with solutions, rinses and gels. Compared to professional whitening, the cost is lower, but often this option is not so effective.
After bleaching, the first two days should be followed by a white diet: it is necessary to exclude coloring products: bright berries, red wine, tea (and green including), and so on. Allowed rice, potatoes, pasta, white wine, chicken, fish (except red), meat, cucumbers, and so on.
Who should refuse whitening
There are several contraindications to whitening that make you refrain from carrying out the procedure. Thus, the first and foremost condition is the absence of diseases and injuries in the oral cavity. Be sure to consult your doctor if you have:
- carious lesions of the tooth,
- inflammation of the gum tissue or pulp in the teeth,
- acute or chronic fluorosis,
- and so on.
The reaction to chemical bleaching is individual: there are people who feel nothing from the beginning to the end of the procedure. Pain can occur in the middle or at the end of bleaching, as well as within a few hours after the procedure.
In the case of thinning of the enamel and the tendency to the formation of caries or cracks, before bleaching should pay attention to the restoration - demineralization. To do this, the doctor puts on the tooth a special mixture based on calcium, fluorine, phosphorus. Strengthening dentin can provide drugs with the same composition.
Complications and risks
Even the best way to whiten teeth can lead to negative consequences if you do not follow the rules and techniques of lightening enamel. This is especially true for those who are engaged in home whitening. For example, uneven brightening may appear. If you ignore the instructions attached to the bleaching agents, you may experience discomfort:
- mucosal burn;
- allergic reactions;
- tooth sensitivity increase.
If you want to change the shade of the teeth at home, it is better to choose a quality means of a well-known manufacturer. It is best to consult with your doctor before you begin testing one method or another on the surface of your teeth.
