Smile-y stuff

Dr Ankur Dixit

A smile has a tremendous impact on perceptions of one’s attractiveness and one’s personality. Previous psychological research has shown that attractive people are perceived as more successful, intelligent and friendly. One’s smile clearly plays a significant role in the perception that others have of our appearance and personality. A bright, even smile will make you appear more intelligent, interesting, successful and wealthy to others as well!

As more and more people want to look younger, more attractive and feel more confident, the most well-liked beauty procedure in the world is teeth- whitening. Bleaching is ideally used to eliminate stains caused by the drinking coffee, cola, wine, tea or other dark liquids as well as stains caused by smoking.

There are a number of methods and approaches for the bleaching of vital teeth. For example, there are methods utilising different bleach agents, concentrations; timing of application, product format, application mode and light activation. However, three fundamental bleaching approaches exist – dentist-supervised night-guard bleaching, in-office or power bleaching and mass-market bleaching products.

• Night-guard bleaching typically uses a relatively low level of whitening agent applied to the teeth via a custom fabricated mouth guard and it’s worn at night for at least two weeks.
• In-office bleaching generally uses relatively high levels of whitening agents, for example 25–35 per cent hydrogen peroxide containing products, for shorter time periods. The whitening gel is applied to the teeth after protection of the soft tissues and the peroxide may be further activated by heat or light. The in-office treatment can result in significant whitening after only one treatment visit, but may require multiple treatment appointments for optimum whitening. In order to protect your results, always use the dentist recommended after-care products.

Take care

• Do not use household bleach to whiten teeth.
• Pregnant women should not bleach.
• Do not use tobacco products or eat while bleaching.
• White spots on the enamel or that appear during bleaching may blend during continued bleaching process.
• Teeth are naturally darker along the gum-line. These areas may require more time to lighten than the rest of the tooth surface and usually remain slightly darker.
• A small percentage of patients experience sensitivity with bleaching. Should this occur, remove the tray and contact your dentist.
• Foods and juices high in citric acid, like lemon juice and orange juice, can cause sensitivity to the teeth.
• Some patients have noticed temporary discomfort of the gums, lips, throat or tongue. Should any of these symptoms persist more than two days or progressively worsen, call your dentist.
• These side-effects will usually subside within 1-3 days after treatment is discontinued.
• Coffee, tobacco, and other products can re-stain your teeth over time. Should this occur, the teeth can be re-whitened within a few nights using in office bleaching technique.
• Regular dental check-ups and cleanings are important before and after bleaching to maintain a healthy smile.
• Crowns, bridges, partial dentures, veneers and composite fillings will not bleach.

(Dr Dixit is a Panchkula-based dental surgeon)