At Dental Excellence we offer two options to whiten vital (live) teeth – The ‘Pola-White’ take-home whitening system and the BEYOND™ in-office power whitening system. We can also whiten single root filled teeth that have become discoloured.
Why should I have a dental professional whiten my teeth?
Only Dentists and Dental Hygienists are licensed to diagnose dental decay and gum disease. These conditions must be treated before you have your teeth whitened, otherwise pain and damage to teeth and gums may occur. The whitening techniques we use are very safe, but there are a few situations where bleaching is not recommended. We will discuss these issues with you before treatment and advise which is the best option for you.
There are many options to whiten your teeth available today. There are “tooth whitening booths” in some cities, this is where unregistered people provide a whitening service. These unregistered service providers are restricted in the concentration of bleaching agents they can use and are not trained to diagnose or treat other dental disorders prior to whitening your teeth. We firmly believe that all dental services should be carried out by dentally qualified personnel where correct protocols are followed in all areas from diagnosis of any potential dental health issues, to correct sterilisation procedures.
Important Notes:
Whitening will not change the colour of your fillings or crowns, so these may need replacement with lighter shade restorations after bleaching is complete to achieve optimal results.
Whitening should not be done in the presence of untreated gum disease, decay or leaking fillings.
Whitening may be contra-indicated where significant tooth sensitivity exists.
It is not advisable to undertake tooth whitening during pregnancy.
*All whitening techniques produce excellent results, but relapse is possible over time – especially in the presence of smoking, red wine, coffee and tea, highly coloured foods e.g. dark berries. Take-home ‘touch-up’ kits are available for you to deal with this as required.
HOME-BASED WHITENING SYSTEMS
Tray-based whitening systems provide a safe and effective way of whitening teeth. Most home use systems require a minimum of 1-2 weeks’ treatment. This process involves wearing a custom made (very thin and virtually invisible) mouthguard appliance for a variable period of 30-90 minutes every day, until the desired result is achieved.
The Beyond™ in surgery whitening system offers the following benefits:
The most advanced light filtration system of any power whitening system ensures patient safety and comfort.
The protocol we use includes placement of protective barriers on your gums and lips. When severe discolouration is present, a pre-treatment agent is applied. Next, three applications of high concentration gel & the whitening accelerator light are applied (up to 10 minutes for each application).
Non-vital Bleaching
(Bleaching teeth that have had the nerve or pulp removed).
Individual teeth that are badly discoloured may be treated with ‘non-vital bleaching’. It is usually worth trying this before proceeding to crowns or veneers. Please talk to us about the best option in your case.
This tooth was successfully treated with internal, non-vital bleaching. After a successful root canal treatment was completed and the pulp chamber sealed, the hollowed out crown of the tooth was filled with a bleaching paste and then sealed with a temporary filling. The bleaching paste was replaced every 1-2 weeks until the desired lightness was achieved then the bleaching paste and temporary filling were removed and a permanent restoration placed.
