What steps does your dentist take when performing professional teeth whitening treatments?

What are the steps of the professional teeth whitening treatments performed by dentists? There are a number of whitening products and systems intended for professional in-office use that your dentist has to choose from. While the specific one your dentist feels is best may have its own individual characteristics, here are the steps that are typically involved ... A) The dentist will evaluate the current pre-whitening shade of the patient's teeth. Both the patient and dentist alike will want to make a determination about the level of whitening that has been obtained from the teeth whitening treatment. In order to be able to make this comparison the dentist will use a series of tooth-shaped porcelain tabs, each of which is slightly different in color. The dentist will decide which tab seems to match the person's pre-bleaching tooth shade the best and then will make a record of it.

Professional teeth whitening. Page 1 Which is best, in-office or at-home teeth whitening? What are the advantages and disadvantages of professional teeth whitening? Page 2 and 3 What steps are involved with professional teeth whitening? Page 4 What type of teeth whitener is utilized? Should a laser or a light be used during the treatment? Page 5 How much does professional whitening cost? What level of whitening results can be expected? Page 6 What side effects are associated with professional teeth whitening?    At-home teeth whitening. Whitening strips Tray whitening

It is assumed that before the teeth whitening appointment has been scheduled the patient will have already had a professional dental cleaning. Both surface staining and tartar should be removed before the bleaching treatment is performed. It is possible that a person could find that the dental cleaning alone has improved the appearance of their teeth enough that professional teeth whitening treatments are not needed.

B) The dentist will isolate the teeth that will be whitened. The peroxide bleaching agents used in professional teeth whitening treatments are caustic and can irritate or even damage soft oral tissues. Your dentist will need to isolate the teeth to which the whitener will be applied and this is done by way of their placing a "dental dam". One form of dental dam barrier is a thin sheet of latex termed a "rubber dam" by dentists. Holes are punched in the latex and it is slipped over the teeth. The protruding teeth can then be treated without the bleaching agent touching the patient's gums or lips. Another form of dental dam is one that is painted on. In this case a dam gel is applied around the teeth. The gel is then cured so it provides a seal around the teeth. Many times a cheek retractor is used in conjunction with a paint on dam so to help insure that the patient's lips and cheeks are held back out of the way. Gauze and cotton rolls may also be used to aid in this tissue retraction. After the bleaching treatment has been completed the cheek retractors and cotton products are removed and the dam material is simply peeled off.

C) Eye protection and a bib covering are placed on the patient. Related to the caustic nature of the peroxide bleaching compounds used in professional teeth whitening treatments it is best that eye protection is worn. The unexpected can happen and during the bleaching process materials can be dropped or splashed. For these reasons your dentist's assistant will also probably place a protective bib on you. Another reason eye protection is worn is because professional teeth whitening treatments often make use of a light or laser to "activate" the bleaching agent. It could be possible that with the use of a laser or some types of bleaching lights that eye damage might occur.