Teeth whitening or bleaching is probably the most frequent treatment in the area of cosmetic dentistry, which seeks to improve the appearance of teeth, as distinguished from improving their function, or treating tooth diseases.
Teeth may be whitened from one-hour bleaching treatments at the dentist’s office, or home-use whitening kits available at pharmacies. The effect in either case is not permanent and requires occasional touch ups.
Although people start life with white teeth, tooth enamel gets worn down after enough years, becoming transparent enough to reveal the yellow-colored underlying material — dentin — to show through. Millions of microscopic cracks in the enamel allow the dentin to show, and also accumulate stains and debris, resulting in a duller appearance. Teeth whitening treatments remove the stains and debris.
Whitening may be affected with either in-office treatment or take-home kit provided by your dentist. You can expect the effect to last for about a year.
In this procedure, the dentist or technician first applies a painted-on rubber dam to protect your gums. Then a high-concentration peroxide gel is applied to the teeth. It remains on for up to an hour or a few 15 to 20 minute intervals adding up to an hour. The typical cost for this service is $650.
With this method, the patient is provided with a kit that has a lower-concentration peroxide gel. The gel is applied with bleaching trays that resemble mouth guards. The trays may be left on for an hour or even overnight, as specified by the dentist.