How Can You Brighten Your Smile?
Your wedding is coming up and you want your smile to be its brightest. Or maybe you have an important speaking engagement. Whatever the reason, tooth bleaching isn't just for the movie stars, and it isn't just for one day. Many people have had their teeth bleached, and probably millions more are thinking about it. The desire for a brighter smile with whiter teeth is very strong, and tooth bleaching safely lightens the color of the teeth, lasting for up to five years. The most effective and safest method of tooth bleaching is dentist-supervised.

Is bleaching for you?
Generally, bleaching is successful in at least 90 percent of patients, though it may not be an option for everyone. Consider tooth bleaching if your teeth are darkened from age, coffee, tea or smoking. Teeth darkened with the color of yellow, brown or orange respond better to lightening. Other types of gray stains caused by fluorosis, smoking or tetracycline are lightened, but results are not as dramatic. If you have very sensitive teeth, periodontal disease, or teeth with worn enamel, your dentist may discourage bleaching.

What's involved?
First, the dentist will determine whether you are a candidate for tooth bleaching and what type of bleaching system would provide the best results. If you're in a hurry for whiter teeth, you may decide to have your teeth lightened immediately. Your dentist will use either an in-office bleaching system or laser bleaching while you sit in the dental chair. However, most patients choose dentist-supervised at-home bleaching, which is more economical and provides the same results.
At the next appointment if you don't choose laser bleaching, the dentist or hygienist will make impressions of your teeth to fabricate a mouthguard appliance for you. The mouthguard is custom made for your mouth and is lightweight so that it can be worn comfortably while you are awake or sleeping. The mouthguard is so thin that you should even be able to talk and work while wearing your mouthguard. Along with the mouthguard, you'll receive the bleaching materials. You'll be given instructions on how to wear the mouthguard.

Some bleaching systems recommend bleaching your teeth from two to four hours a day. Generally this type of system requires three to six weeks to complete, and works best on patients with sensitive teeth. Other systems recommend bleaching at night while you sleep. This type of system usually requires only 10-14 days to complete.

How long does it last?
Lightness should last from one to five years, depending on your personal habits such as smoking and drinking coffee and tea. At this point you may choose to get a touch up. This procedure may not be as costly because you can probably still use the same mouthguard. The retreatment time also is much shorter than the original treatment time.

How does it work?
The active ingredient in most of the whitening agents is 10 percent carbamide peroxide (CH4N2O2), also known as urea peroxide; when water contacts this white crystal, the release of hydrogen peroxide lightens the teeth.

What are realistic expectations?
No one can really predict how much lighter your teeth will become. Every case is different. Typically, there is a two-shade improvement as seen on a dentist's shade guide. The success rate depends upon the type of stain involved and your compliance. Bleaching can only provide a shift in color from gray to a lighter shade of gray, for example. Bleaching does not lighten artificial materials such as resins, silicants, or porcelains.
 

I would like to get whiter teeth. What are my options with Dentist-Budapest?

In our practice, we offer 3 different kinds of teeth whitening.

- The first one is Beyond Whitening Accelerator: it is your best choice for quickly and effectively brightening healthy smiles. Developed by an engineering team in California's Silicon Valley, Beyond uses high-intensity blue light at a wavelength of 480 to 520 nanometers. The light is filtered through over 12,000 fibers and 30 layers of coated optical glass to remove infrared and ultraviolet light. Used together with our special whitening formula, the half-hour procedure rapidly oxidizes 16 or more teeth through the dentin tube, restoring them to a beautiful white. It scores a 5 to 14 level of shade improvement on the Vita shade guide. The Beyond whitening system leaves teeth whiter and shinier than other similar processes. Using the Beyond whitening kit together with the Beyond whitening accelerator will create the best results. With Beyond, the whole whitening process takes only 30 minutes. Using low temperature, cold-light avoids irritation of the nerves of the teeth. Beyond is a one-time treatment with no irritation and no side effects, whitening the teeth for up to two years. Beyond is recognized as the safest and most effective way of whitening the teeth currently available.

- The third option is reffered to as ‘endo-whitining’, we use this method to whiten root canal treated, darkened teeth.

For more info on Beyond 1 hour teeth whitening, please click here.

- The second option is take-home teeth whitening: Teeth whitening (also referred to as "teeth bleaching") utilizing at-home tray-based teeth whitening products has become the most popular way for dentists to help their patients obtain whiter smiles. These teeth bleaching systems use a clear plastic tray that is filled with whitening gel and then placed on and slipped over the patient's teeth. The bleaching tray is then worn for multiple hours per day (or overnight), for some weeks, while the effects of the teeth whitening process take place. For more info on take-home teeth whitening, please click here.