All You Need To Know About Teeth Whitening

Intro

Veena: Hello & welcome to our 6^th podcast! Today’s topic is brought to you by popular demand – absolutely everything you need to know about teeth whitening!

Shilpa: Yes, these days its not just the Hollywood celebrities with the white smile, its easily achievable for everybody. Not only does a fresh white smile look great, it goes a lot deeper too in terms of boosting self confidence!

Veena: Absolutely! Isn’t it amazing this transformation of teeth going several shades lighter can now happen in a matter of a couple of hours! The most common thing we notice when we first meet someone is without a doubt, their smile. Then we notice other things like eyes, smell, clothes & hair.

Shilpa: Having a set of healthy teeth is definitely something that gets noticed first about appearance. Not only that, good oral health is also so important for overall health.  Teeth whitening is generally only offered post dental treatment after a detailed check and clean has been done by a dentist to achieve best results.

Veena: We often get asked: Is teeth whitening safe?

Shilpa: Yes, as long as it is monitored by a dental professional, the bleach is well controlled and the custom trays are well fitting to keep the whitening product away from the gums, it is a safe procedure and will not damage your teeth or will not wear away the enamel. Sometimes sensitivity is a side effect of whitening, but there are treatment options to minimize sensitivity to make it a comfortable procedure.

Veena: Right, that’s why it’s a good idea to get teeth whitened by a trained dental professional and not at pop up booths at the supermarkets. Another frequently asked question is: am I guaranteed good results?

Shilpa: Everyone’s teeth whitens differently, so while some teeth may whiten by just a couple of shades, others may lighten by 7 shades.

Veena: Wow. How long does it last?

Shilpa: That would depend on the aftercare, the patient’s diet and how often they maintain it with take home whitening as a top up.

Veena. Right. Can you please elaborate on the after care? Can we eat & drink normally after?

Shilpa: Usually it takes up to 48 hours for the colour to settle in after the whitening procedure. Especially during this period, it’s a good idea to avoid coloured foods and drinks such as coffee, red wine, tomato pasta, or beetroot. Some people may also have sensitivity during and after the procedure. However, this can be managed by various products such as sensitive toothpaste like Sensodyne, relief gel and tooth mousse.

Veena: That’s great to hear that sensitivity can be managed with several options. Can people who have fillings & crowns on front teeth get whitening done too? Would it lighten the fillings?

Shilpa: If you have fillings or crowns on your front teeth, they will not lighten along with your teeth, so that is something to be aware of. We do plan treatment in such a way that fillings and crowns can then be replaced to match the new whitened shade of teeth.

Veena: So Which teeth whitening option would you say is the best?

Shilpa: There are a few different options for whitening teeth. For instant results, you can have your teeth whitened in chair by dental professionals. A higher concentration of bleach is generally used for this purpose. This procedure usually takes around 90 minutes.

Another option is to have your teeth whitened over the course of a few weeks by using a lower concentration of bleach in custom fitted trays around your teeth at home. This is done in periods of few minutes over 2-3 weeks, the specifics of which depend on the brand of whitening product used.

Veena: Can we touch up at home or do we need to come to the Dentist every time?

Shilpa: Definitely! Take home bleach used as a top up after having in chair whitening done is a great way to keep your teeth whiter for longer! There are also other whitening products designed for ease such as whitening pens that you can carry along with you in your purse.

Veena: What about home remedies such as rubbing banana peel, mixture of lemon juice & bicarbonate soda? Are they safe to use too?

Shilpa: Home remedies are to be practiced with caution and within limits. I would definitely recommend seeing a Dentist for best results.

Veena: Thank you Dr Shilpa for taking time out today to unravel the depths of the teeth whitening procedure!

Shilpa: My absolute pleasure. I can’t wait for our next episode!

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