Tooth Whitening Revisited
In our aesthetics-oriented society, we have noticed that patients? Demands for aesthetic dentistry continue to rise. With today's advancements we can now mimic nature with porcelain and resin to create lifelike smiles. Today's restorations are so remarkable that even a dentist may think they are natural.

Tooth whitening has finally come of age, thanks to new innovative, technological advances. Tooth whitening (sometimes called vital bleaching) is by far the most conservative step that any patient can take in the direction of smile enhancement and these procedures are now routinely accomplished.

When the dental profession first embarked on in-office bleaching, the materials tended to be irritating and difficult to apply. The gums became temporarily irritated and there was occasional tooth sensitivity. That has all changed! Finally, rapid, safe, effective and easy Power Whitening is available.

Tooth Bleaching In General:
Most tooth-bleaching techniques utilize a form of hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth internally through the oxidation of chemical compounds within the tooth that cause discoloration.

Home Bleaching:
Home bleaching procedures utilize 10% to 22% carbonide peroxide or 6% to 10% hydrogen peroxide, used in a night guard (or bleaching tray). These relatively low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide are safe for home use, although the tooth lightening results are considerably slower than in-office bleaching techniques and usually require two to eight weeks of treatment time for most teeth. (Tetracycline stained teeth can sometimes be successfully treated with home bleaching; however, significant improvement in aesthetics may require four to six months of daily treatment in these special instances).

Maintenance:
All tooth whitening systems require some amount of re-treatment to preserve the brightness level of the smile. Home maintenance kits are similar to the original at home whitening kits;, however, the user needs only to perform the recommended treatment for two to three hours every few months to touch up the teeth and return them to their post bleaching brilliance.

The Future:
No longer are bright, aesthetic teeth and an attractive smile an expensive commodity reserved for the rich and famous. Heat/Light-activated peroxide gels can transform yellow, stained teeth into the white, youthful smile sought by today's dental patients.

Tooth whitening continues to grow in popularity with the general public. Just look at any popular magazine to see current evidence! Fresh breath and natural looking, straight and white teeth are among the top appearance related concerns of dental patients today.

This trend is predicted to continue well into the coming millennium. It appears that bright smiles are truly here to stay!

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.