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Please note: Results vary and the information below is given to assist you in making an informed decision. BleachRefills.co.uk nor the manufacturers guarantee any particular result.

Teeth Whitening Instructions | Opalescence Gel Questions

1. What tooth whitening choices are there if I am interested in whitening my teeth?

2. Is bleaching safe or does it damage the tooth?

3. What are the side effects of tooth whitening?

4. I have sensitive teeth all the time. What causes this and can this be treated?

5. How long will it take for teeth to become their whitest?

6. How long will the whitening results last?

7. Why it is not recommended to bleach your teeth or use white strips while pregnant or nursing?

8. Will bleaching gel whiten my veneers, caps (crowns) and bonding?

9. What Strength & brand should I use & when will I see results?

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1. What tooth whitening choices are there if I am interested in whitening my teeth?

There are a number of different ways to whiten teeth. There are two main choices. One is professional bleaching which requires visiting a dentist and the second is over the counter whitening i.e. buying it from a retail store or through the internet.

Different ways to bleach teeth:

• Chair-side bleaching, which involves getting your teeth bleached in usually a single dental visit at a dentist or a much publicized whitening center like Britesmile and Zoom.
• There are 2 kinds of At-home-tray whitening systems.
  • From moulds of your teeth a custom-made bleaching trays is fabricated by a dental lab, which you use at home with a bleaching agent.
  • A boil and bite tray is made by you in minutes and used with bleaching gel
  •  Two Types of whitening gels you can choose from are: CARBAMIDE PEROXIDE & HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.  

    All professional grade teeth whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which is the bleaching (or stain removing) agent.

    Hydrogen peroxide breaks down faster than carbamide peroxide, which means it releases most of its bleaching power within 30–60 minutes. Conversely, carbamide peroxide releases about 50% of its whitening power in the first two hours and can remain active for up to six additional hours.

    Hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide produced equally brilliant results. However there is a noticeable difference in sensitivity when using a hydrogen peroxide compared to carbamide peroxide product.

    Hydrogen peroxide although stronger can cause extreme gum irritation and hyper tooth sensitivity.  Before starting any teeth whitening it is recommended consulting with a dentist first. 

      IMPORTANT: Remember after whitening your teeth, use remineralization gel to re-hydrate your teeth and replenish your enamel with all the essential minerals ( calcium & phosphate) to maintain maximum strength and get rid of sensitivity. You may notice your teeth appear dry or dull after whitening treatment. This is temporary and due to the loss of water and minerals from your enamel & can be easily replaced by using remineralization gel after you whiten your teeth to bring back the glossy shine.
• Tray-less Whitening using Crest Whitening Strips or a paint on gel like Colgate Simply White.

Chair-side bleaching can be done in two ways. The dentist uses a very strong bleaching agent alone or in combination with a light/laser. With both, the dentist cleans your teeth with a sandy, pumice-like material to remove plaque and cleans the surface of the tooth. Then a peroxide-based gel is applied after which a light may be applied to assist the whitening process. Most gels are self-activating and others are activated and by the use of a light. The laser does NOT whiten teeth. It merely activates the bleaching gel and initiates the chemical reaction that produces the whitening effect (the laser doesn't actually penetrate the teeth). The procedure takes about an hour and a half and offers immediate results, although it may take more than one session to achieve the desired level of bleaching.

The most publicized chair side whitening procedures:

• Britesmile Chair Side Teeth Whitening System
• Zoom Professional Teeth Whitening System

Other less well known chair side Bleaching systems include:

• Opalescence Extra Boost
• Rembrandt Sapphire System
• LumaArch
• Lasersmile

The at-home bleaching tray methods require a fitted mouth tray (bleaching tray) to hold the bleaching gel against the tooth either overnight or hourly depending on the strength of the bleach dispensed. In the past, this bleaching tray was fabricated only by a dentist. Today, these custom trays can also be ordered via the internet. You take the mold of your teeth and mail the molds to a dental lab who fabricates the trays and mails them back to you. The turn-around time is approx. 2-3 weeks. Alternatively, the boil n bite trays bypass having to wait for them to be mailed but are more bulky and don’t fit as well. You mold the trays against your teeth yourself after placing the thermoform trays in boiling water for a few minutes to soften it. Dentist.net recommends you visit your dentist before whitening to make sure that you don't have any cavities or any other limitations that would compromise your tooth whitening results.

There are also tray-less over-the-counter options available for tooth whitening. These are the Crest Tooth Whitening Strips, Colgate Simply White, Britesmile whitening pen etc. Crest whitening strips maybe a better option for those who don’t want to wear a tray. These strips are more difficult to keep in place especially on the lower teeth while the paint on whitening needs be kept dryish to adhere and prevent wash-out.

No matter which method you choose, how white your teeth will get depends on what color they are to begin with and the source of the discoloration. Brown or yellow teeth (often the result of superficial staining caused by smoking, coffee, and tea) will usually get whiter. Gray teeth (caused not by stains but by pigment deep inside the tooth) will lighten less, sometimes not at all. Results cannot be guaranteed. To determine the initial color of your teeth, compare them to a sheet of bright white computer paper held up to your mouth.

Chairside bleaching is the fastest but also the most expensive, anywhere from $4-$600 per session and usually requires more than one session for maximum results. Take-home bleaching kits average around $300 from the dentist, less costly online and can be used with your own schedule. Over-the-counter options, as you might expect, are the least expensive, but are thought per dentists to be less effective. Recent research has shown white strips to be as effective. The most common side effect of any of these procedures is sensitivity to hot and cold, but that lasts only while you are using the bleach and tends to persist for 1-2 days afterwards.

If there's little chance that you'll remember to pop in a mouth tray every night, or if you are impatient to see results, chair side bleaching may be a better option for you. This method also allows the dentist to treat teeth individually, which is ideal if you have veneers or teeth that vary in shade.

With proper aftercare, whitened teeth can stay bright for a few years. To keep your smile bright as long as possible, try these easy tips:

• Follow the "white teeth diet" Drink white wine instead of red wine, cappuccino instead of espresso, and grapefruit juice instead of cranberry juice.
• Use "whitening" toothpaste with a mild abrasive or peroxides (for example: Opalescence toothpaste, Supersmile , ZOOM Whitening Toothpaste and most of the over-the-counter "Whitening Toothpastes" on a daily basis.

Tooth whitening instructions - Teeth Whitening Instructions

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2. Is bleaching safe or does it damage the tooth?

To our knowledge nothing detrimental has been documented and microscopic research shows no changes to the tooth surface with use of 10% bleaching solution. Most research available was initially done with a 10% concentration. There is no literature that we have come across showing any structural changes or irreversible damage to the tooth structure whatsoever. After whitening your teeth we recommend using remineralization gel to rehydrate your teeth and replenish your enamel with all the essential minerals to maintain maximum strength and no sensitivity.

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3. What are the side effects of tooth whitening?

All bleaching gel causes some degree of tooth sensitivity. This is sensitivity to cold/hot fluids and even air can cause discomfort. This is normal and an expected side effect. Some of the brands of bleaching gel contain desensitizing agents which claim to alleviate post bleaching sensitivity. From customer feedback, this doesn’t seem to be noticeably effective. All bleaching causes tooth sensitivity and we recommend to either discontinue use for a few days and the sensitivity will dissipate within 24-48 hrs.  Don’t be concerned as bleaching does not need to be done consecutively. You will get to the same whitening point, it will just take a little longer. A better alternative option is to use REMINERALIZATION Gel which is applied after bleaching in the same manner as the bleach. For maximum benefit use our remineralization gel or Ultradent UltraEZ overnight. Using a desensitizing toothpaste like Sensodyne or any of the over the counter toothpastes containing potassium nitrate as the active ingredient will help, but should not be used for more than a week because it can cause your enamel to get brittle and break.

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4. I have sensitive teeth all the time. What causes this and can this be treated?

Are your teeth sensitive from using bleaching gel? - After whitening your teeth we recommend using remineralization gel to rehydrate your teeth and replenish your enamel with all the essential minerals to maintain maximum strength and no sensitivity.

 IMPORTANT: Remember after whitening your teeth, use remineralization gel to re-hydrate your teeth and replenish your enamel with all the essential minerals (calcium & phosphate) to maintain maximum strength and get rid of sensitivity. You may notice your teeth appear dry or dull after whitening treatment. This is temporary and due to the loss of water and minerals (de-calcification) from your enamel & can be easily replaced by using remineralization gel after you whiten your teeth to bring back the glossy shine.

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5. How long will it take for teeth to become their whitest?

Results vary. Some teeth whiten dramatically in just a few days, while others can take a few months. The majority of people whiten within 2-3 weeks.  The more yellow versus gray color you have in your teeth, the better the bleaching. Grey enamel similar to that of Tetracycline (antibiotic) staining is more difficult to bleach and can take a few months to achieve a result.

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6. How long the whitening will results last?

Generally, immediately after bleaching, the color will fade slightly and then remain stable for approx. 6 months to a year, sometimes longer. It is recommended for maintenance to touch up your smile every 4-6 months with 1-2 applications.

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7. Why it is not recommended to bleach your teeth or use whitestrips while pregnant or nursing?

No research has been done into bleaching teeth while nursing or pregnant, so manufacturers for liability reasons recommend NOT to bleach while pregnant or nursing.

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8. Will bleaching gel whiten my veneers, caps (crowns) and bonding?

All bleaching agents used to whiten teeth will only work on natural tooth structure. This means that all dental work including but not limited to bonding, veneers, crowns (caps) and bridges will NOT bleach or whiten. All dental work would need to be replaced to match the newly whitened teeth.

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9. What Strength & brand should I use & when will I see results?

Depending on your age, diet , and genetics you will see various results with different products. When choosing teeth whitening gel start with a lower strength first to gauge how quickly you see results and how sensitive your teeth become from whitening treatment. If you do not experience sensitivity and want to get whiter teeth you can always use a stronger gel in the future. One common mistake is to start by using the strongest gel, however this can cause sensitivity and gum irritation if you overfill your trays or wear the gel for too long. Our teeth typically become less sensitive with age. Genetics also plays a factor since some people haver more microscopic pores in their enamels which makes them experience more sensitivity. All brands we carry have been proven to provide excellent results & choosing one is a personal decision. 

 IMPORTANT: Remember after whitening your teeth, use remineralization gel to re-hydrate your teeth and replenish your enamel with all the essential minerals (calcium & phosphate) to maintain maximum strength and get rid of sensitivity. You may notice your teeth appear dry or dull after whitening treatment. This is temporary and due to the loss of water and minerals (de-calcification) from your enamel & can be easily replaced by using remineralization gel after you whiten your teeth to bring back the glossy shine.