Teeth Whitening

Teeth can become discoloured in two ways:

1 Extrinsic staining

2 Intrinsic staining

Diagnosis of the cause of discolouration is essential before adopting a course of treatment which is appropriate and successful.

• Extrinsic staining commonly occurring can be removed by careful cleaning of the teeth or replacing restorations which may have changed colour over time relative to other teeth.
• Intrinsic staining develops inside the outer enamel of the tooth.  This can be due to coffee and the like or wearing through of the enamel surface, exposing the inner dentine.  Dentine acts like a sponge soaking up stains over time.

Bleaching is very effective but assessment of the appropriate techniques is important for it to be successful.   The three main levels of bleaching are:

• A take-home kit with low concentration bleach gel can be effective in low level discolouration.
• In-office without light enhancement.
• In-office with Zoom 4 light enhancement where teeth can be made up to eight shades lighter in one hour.

Both techniques require careful adherence to protocols as they use high concentration bleach gel which produces more effective results.  A complimentary take-home kit is subsequently provided for three monthly top-ups.

BEFORE Peter Maloney Dental

AFTER Peter Maloney Dental