Hygienists & Bleaching

Over the last few months, both ” The Breakfast Show and Campbell live have shown clips on tooth bleaching. It is an issue that is nowadays commonly talked about, but is also an issue that has a lot of misconceived ideas. Any dental professional would agree that more patients are enquiring about tooth bleaching compared to 5- 10 years ago. “Its not that surprising” says Els Denne- registered hygienist of Gentle Dental Cambridge, as “everyday we are bombarded bright white smiles of the Hollywood stars, and not to mention all those beautiful models. Then there is the extreme makeover television shows, infomercial's, and adverts in papers and glossy magazines all focusing on whiter brighter teeth”. All claim that it is so simple to bleach those teeth. So really one must eventually ask – is it? And how effective will it be? Has this been a ‘star studded secret’ that we are only just catching on to or is it that we are becoming a more tooth conscious and aware of our pearly whites? Bleaching teeth is a personal passion for Els, she says “let’s face it, when you have a whiter smile you not only look younger, but also feel more confident about yourself. Seeing the change in a person when they bleach their teeth is a really great feeling” she reports

So just how simple is it? Firstly says Els, “If you are considering whitening your smile it is important that you make an informed decision on the system that would be best for you. Be aware of what products there are, how they work then consider how discolored your teeth are and how light can they realistically be. Many people unfortunately end up at the dentist having already spent quite a large amount of money and feeling dissatisfied with their shade and the products they have been used.”

To be able to make an informed decision you really need to understand how it works. “Did you know that it is not actually your enamel that determines the color of teeth? It is in fact the underlying dentine. Enamel is a translucent substance and the color is reflected through. Some of us can see enamel translucency on the tips of our front teeth. If you have darker dentine then your teeth will not be very white. And unfortunately as we get older our dentine darkens. That’s why as we get older we notice our teeth yellow.” Says Els.

WHITENING TOOTHPASTES can be very good at what they are designed to do. They are made slightly more abrasive than normal toothpaste and are designed to remove the extrinsic stains that we form on our teeth. Modern diets tend to have darker colored foods and drinks: and then there is always that annoying smoking stain. One thing that people must realize, says Els is that “Whitening toothpastes are NOT able to change the tooth color as people think they do! By removing the stain you achieve a whiter appearance but the tooth color itself remains unchanged.”
In order to change your actual tooth shade you need to use a tooth bleach product on your teeth. “To add to the confusion” says Els “there are many different kinds to choose from, all with varying degrees of effectiveness and cost.”

TOOTH BLEACHES work by actually changing the color of your dentine. They tend to contain an ingredient called Carbamide Peroxide and this is placed on the tooth surface. The Carbamide peroxide is then broken down and oxygen enters the enamel and dentine, is it quite simply bleaches out the darker or discolored areas of the dentine. The structure of the tooth is not changed or affected but the color is simply made lighter. The problem is that“we all have different rates of absorption; some of us are much slower than others. This
then has an impact on which product may best suit you. Unfortunately you won’t often know how quickly you will absorb the bleach until your try.” Explains Els

A cheaper option is to purchase the ‘paint on bleaches’ and ‘bleaching strips’ That are available at supermarkets and other various trading stores and Businesses. These systems have been available in supermarkets for quite Some time and more recently are being promoted by hairdressers and beauty Therapists. They are simple to use in the fact that you just simply paint on or apply to the teeth and leave. Whilst they do have bleach in them, it is often very dilute and tends to evaporate quickly. This is necessary to make the products safe for the consumer to use. However, Els explains that “The problem with the quick evaporation is that if you are one of these people who has a slower absorption, then the bleach may not have time to properly reach your dentine.” And if this is the case you may not achieve the result you are wanting. If you feel the ‘bleaching tray system’ is just too messy and inconvenient or if you want more of an ‘instant’ result then you need to consider using a bleaching Laser Whitening System. Els states “during the last 10 years she has really noticed notable advancements in this area.” Campbell Live reported on the 2^nd August a show called “Polishing your smile safely” and came to the conclusion that whilst trays will lighten, the laser system tends to be not only more convenient but also more effective in achieving that whiter smile. In comparison to days or weeks of wearing trays or strips, you can easily achieve whiter teeth in just a couple of hours. The active ingredients are the same as the trays but the difference with a laser system reports is that “the laser light activates the hydrogen peroxide and speeds up the penetration to the dentine therefore enabling immediate results.” If you feel that this system is the one for you, you should expect to pay anything from $900.00 to $1200.00. “the reason this system is so costly is due to the fact that the Bleaching kits are generally imported directly from the USA and unfortunately by the time they reach us here ‘down under we end up paying a lot more” explains Els.

Another really important piece of advice is to be aware when considering using a laser system is to query whether the system comes with the ability to maintain your new shade. Els has tried a large number of different laser bleach systems and states; The variation between effectiveness and post bleach sensitivity is quite remarkable. Further, and more of a concern; not all of the laser systems include a maintenance kit. Most laser systems Els warns “do not come with an ability to maintain your shade. And due to the ageing process and diet, your teeth will gradually darken again. You are then faced with having to spend a very large sum of money again to re-whiten your teeth when you feel the need.”

When she rejoined the new team at Gentle Dental Cambridge she convinced both dentists Dr's Firas Adheem and James Goodrich to invest in the ‘Zoom Laser Whitening system’. Most people will recognize this system as being on “Extreme Make Over”. Els has been using this system in Hamilton for the past few years, and believes that it achieves the best whitening results. It also includes a ‘relief product’ for those of you who experience temporary post-bleach sensitivity AND is one of the few laser systems to include AT NO FURTHER COST bleach trays for you to keep your shade. This means you only have the initial expense of paying for the laser treatment, and then can easily maintain your new shade without having to spend further money to purchase maintenance bleach trays. Els is of the opinion that “Any laser bleach system that is inclusive of bleach trays, as well as the laser system is really very good value for money.” She explains that this is another main reason why she recommend the Zoom system to Gentle Dental Cambridge. “It makes bleaching achievable to many who may not have been able to.”

If you want to speak to Els further, regardless of which ever system you are thinking about, remember that Gentle Dental Cambridge offer free consults for bleaching. The team feel it is really important to be informed about the products and choices available. This then creates not Only a happy customer, but also a healthy and a long standing one tool Anticipating. However Els says, “You don’t know until you try, and if you are Quick to absorb you may notice a slightly whiter smile.” If you choose this System you can expect prices to start from $45.00 up to approx $200.00 and You should be also advised to seek the opinion of a dentist to check your teeth first.

The next level of bleaching products is to use a bleach tray system. These Bleach products are more concentrated and have longer activation times. Whilst there are various ‘tray and light systems available on infomercial's, Els Recommends, “For safety reasons and also to achieve the best fitting tray you Should take the time to visit your dentist. Your dentist will not only check your Teeth for fitness to bleach, but take impressions of your teeth and have a Custom gel-holding appliance specialty made called a whitening bleach tray. Because they are made to fit your teeth exactly and you are given specific Instructions on how to administer the gel, you minimize any spillage therefore, protecting your gums and surrounding oral tissues. Further, the bleach that is Supplied by your dentist is obtained from reputable dental suppliers who provide a quality safe and tested product for you to use. Depending on the Brand of product you maybe required to wear your trays from 1 hour through to sleeping with them overnight. Results are usually noticed after the first Week; however maximum results generally occur when the process is continued for 10— 14 days. The average cost of a dental surgery bleach tray system varies from $450.00 to $650.00.

You may have also seen infomercial's selling bleach tray and light systems. Els says she is personally “very wary of using any of these systems, as firstly The trays are not specifically designed for you”, and she is “aware of various Reports of burning, and damaged teeth from unknown the bleach products”. Sue Chetwin of the Consumers Institute also reported on the 21^st August 2007 In an interview on the “Breakfast Show” that in New Zealand we allow a more Concentrated ‘unsupervised’ bleach available to the consumer of up to 9%, Whereas other overseas countries only allow to 6%. So whilst a tray system can be successful, caution should be taken.