Nowadays personal appearance is becoming more and more important. Gleaming healthy teeth greatly contribute to personal appearance. An increasing number of excellent materials and new technologies allow our dentists to meet even the highest aesthetical demands.
For our patients, discoloured teeth may present a number of problems. Professional tooth-whitening offers a solution. Tooth-whitening is a chemical process to turn the darkened teeth lighter. Discolouration can be either reduced or completely stopped. This therapy is not recommended for those with innate or acquired dental faults, a weakened tooth neck, a sensitive tooth neck, or gingivitis. Please note that the colour of fillings and dental prosthesis such as crowns, inlays, outlays, bridges, cannot thus be improved.
Tooth whitening can be done either in surgery or at home. In surgery, a highly concentrated oxidiser is placed on the teeth. The effect of the whitening substance is enhanced by plasma lamp. The treatment lasts 60–90 minutes and can produce a seven-eighth shade improvement.
Tooth whitening can be done at home with a special cradle made by the dentist after impressions of the rows of teeth have been taken. The patient puts a whitening substance in the cradle and for 1–2 weeks it must be placed upon the teeth for several hours each day. Effectivity of the treatment can be greatly influenced by the patient’s diet. Beverages like tea, coffee, and coke can again discolour the teeth. Smoking is also a discolourant.