Why do teeth get darker?
If you can imagine, anything that will stain a white shirt will stain a tooth. Over many years the actual colour of the tooth changes because the stains embeds itself deep into it and end up forming part of the tooth. Tea, coffee and red wine are the worst culprits. Other causes are discolorations due to staining from Tetracycline (an antibiotic) or from fluorosis (too much fluoride ingestion) or hypomineralisation (tooth is softer and so is stained easily). Not to mention plaque (bacteria) and decay.

How can you improve the colour of your teeth?
There are 2 basic ways to improve the colour of teeth. The first is to use Porcelain Veneers and the second is Bleaching.

TEETH BLEACHING

There's a lot more to Bleaching than you think!

How does bleaching actually whiten teeth?
Oxygen penetrates tooth structure and breaks down the long-chain staining molecules (these are dark), resulting in short chain molecules, which are light in colour.

Whitening is dependant on FOUR factors:
(A) The Permeability of the tooth structure to Oxygen, which can be enhanced with a technique called Deep Bleaching.
(B) The length of time the Bleaching Gel is in contact with the tooth structure (as long as the concentration of Oxygen remains high).
(C) The presence or absence of a Chemical Accelerator in the Bleaching Gel
(D) The Strength of the product, which affects how much Oxygen is given off.

Of these factors, the most important is the Permeability of the tooth structure to Oxygen. This is itself dependant on the length of time the Bleaching Gel is in contact with the tooth structure, which acts to enhance the tooth's Permeability.

There also needs to be a steady concentration of Oxygen throughout the treatment. This is only every achieved through the use of a Bleaching Tray, which is meant to seal in the gel and keep out any saliva. The only Bleaching Tray in existence that is able to do that is a Deep Bleaching Tray. This was developed over a period of 15 years by U.S. dentist Dr Rod Kurthy, a world authority on bleaching teeth.

The presence or absence of a Chemical Accelerator in the Bleaching Gel is also important. This causes the Oxygen to be given off more rapidly, resulting in an effect equal to a higher concentration of Bleaching Gel. But there is catch. The quicker the Oxygen is given off, the quicker it runs out, reducing the available treatment time.

And finally if the product does not contain any Peroxide, there is no chance of changing the colour of any tooth. The best you can hope for is just to remove any surface stains.

Is bleaching safe?
It is totally safe to the tooth structure. High concentration bleaches can be caustic to the gums, lips, etc. Some whitening systems involve applying protection to these areas. Poorly fitted whitening trays may also lead to the swallowing of bleach and irritation of the gums.

-- Bleaching must NOT be carried out during pregnancy or if you have large cavities in your teeth. --

Is there an age limit to bleaching?
The current consensus is that there are no age limits to Bleaching. Children's teeth are infact quite permeable, with the internal tooth structure (called Pulp) being quite large and having good circulation. The ideal time to start Bleaching a child's teeth is at the age of around 14.

BLEACHING TECHNIQUES

I only offer the 2 most predictable ways of whitening your smile:
1) Home whitening with deep bleaching trays only
2) Full deep bleaching protocol

Home Whitening
The dentist takes impressions of your teeth and then some deep bleaching trays are made. These trays are loaded with the bleach and you would sleep with them in overnight, usually for 14 nights. You may also be given a regime to assess sensitivity. I would tend to see you half way through the process to see how you are getting on and that there are no problems.

Full Deep Bleaching Protocol
Historically the biggest problem with bleaching teeth was predictability and sensitivity. You could just never predict who was going to whiten and who was going to be in pain. Deep Bleaching has dealt with both these issues.

There are 3 visits to the dentist altogether:
1. To take impressions for the Deep Bleaching trays
2. To condition the teeth with strong bleach, after which you would then do 14 nights of home whitening
3. To return to the dentist for the final bleaching session.

This is only system that will predictably whiten teeth. Tetracycline stained teeth may take a few weeks longer, but great results have been achieved. "I can't believe how white my teeth are", "wow, my teeth!" are just a few comments made by my patients. I have never had this from any other tooth whitening system.

As mentioned because the Deep Bleaching trays seal so well, very little leaks out to give you a problem. Sensitivity has virtually been eliminated with the incorporation of a sealant as part of the Deep Bleaching protocol. Again, I will review you half way through the process.