Bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is the process of lightening the discoloration caused by external factors or the color of the tooth itself with bleaching gels. White teeth are an aesthetically important element that is demanded by everyone today. With the developing technologies, teeth whitening can be applied to the desired degree of whiteness by physicians in a clinical environment.

Teeth whitening, which is one of the most demanded procedures during smile design, can be applied to every healthy tooth. The whitening method to be applied and the number of sessions are determined by the physician in line with the patient’s wishes.

What causes discoloration of teeth?

Teeth may change color due to many different factors. Diet, antibiotic use, systemic factors are the first ones that come to mind.

Yellowing of the teeth occurs when the dentin layer underneath is exposed as a result of the wear of the tooth enamel over time. Since the dentin layer is more yellow than the enamel layer, patients may experience discoloration due to the wear of their teeth as they age.

Especially as a result of excessive consumption of foods and beverages that have a coloring effect on the teeth, discoloration of the teeth can be seen. Foods such as tea, coffee and cigarettes are examples of this group. Likewise, excessive consumption of acidic foods and lack of adequate oral care cause bacterial plaque to turn into tartar over time, resulting in discoloration of the teeth.

Some genetic factors and medications can also cause tooth discoloration.

How is teeth whitening done?

Two methods are most commonly used for teeth whitening. The first one is office-type whitening applied by the dentist in a clinical setting, and the other is home-type whitening, where whitening agents are applied by the patient at home.

With office whitening, which is the most effective method, more effective whitening can be achieved in a short time, and the life of the whitening process is longer. Before the whitening process, the patient must be scaling cleaned. In patients with unhealthy gums, it will not be sufficient to perform teeth whitening without eliminating the gum problem.

In home whitening, whitening is performed by the patient in the home environment with plaques specially prepared for patients according to the measurement taken from the patient’s mouth. The whitening process gives effective results in a longer period of time.