Neutral Bay Family Dental

Is a simple yet effective way of brightening up a person’s smile.
Whitening is easy to perform, inexpensive and with results that are simple to maintain Long-term.
Teeth whitening is an excellent complement that can elevate the result of other forms of treatment.

For most people the option to whiten their teeth in the leisure of their home is appealing. Generally completed over a two week period, the gradual improvement of tooth colour is in the hands of the individual.
This gives the person complete control over the final shade of their teeth and the ability to touch up the colour over time if there is any shift in appearance.

Everyone's teeth are uniquie and discolour and stain in different ways. Discolouring and staining of teeth is often caused by food, drinks and tabacco products leaving long stain molecules in the teeth enamel layer.

Teeth may also be darker/yellow if your enamel layer is thin as the underlying dentne layer is generally a yellow in colour and shows through more if the outer white glass like enamel is thinned. Enamel can be thin due to genetics, aging, over brushing, grinding of teeth, acid errosion from food, drinks and stomach acids (reflux).

Thus no matter which whitening product you use, there is a limit on how much teeth can be whitened with whitening gels. If our whitening gels do not meet your expectations, then restorative options may be the only solution to get your teeth any whiter.

Whitening gels break down into water and oxygen ions over time. When applied to teeth, the oxygen ions enter the enamel layer of the teeth and break down long staining molecules to shorter and colourless molecules that are naturally removed from the tooth by saliva. The effect of the whitening is related to the number of oxugen ions available and the length of time it is on the tooth. Generally speaking, the higher the concentration, the more temporary sensitivity you may experience during treatment. At Neutral Bay Family Dental, we recommend a high take home concentration that is used over a long period of time. We use Poladay 35% carbamide perioxide. We believe it gives you great result that is generally less sensitivite, longer lasting and more cost-effective than traditional in-chair whitening options.

During the time you are whitening, and for 48 hours after, we suggest:

• Avoid or minimise smoking
• Avoid or minimise highly colored foods (spicy foods such as curry, red sauce, berries, etc.) and dark beverages (coffee, black tea, herbal tea, red wine etc.)
• Mild sensitivity to hot or cold liquids may occur. This usually passes within 1-2 days. If sensitivity is severe or persists, contact our office.
• If you experience gum sensitivity do not brush the afflicted area while brushing your teeth.
• Immediate whitening results can be quite dramatic due to minor dehydration of your teeth. It is normal for the color to tone down somewhat after treatment when your teeth rehydrate to a natural white tone.

Long term results vary from patient to patient. This can depend on the original shade of your teeth and include habits such as smoking or drinking colored beverages (red wine, coffee, tea, etc.)
“Touch-up” treatments are recommended every 6-12 months to retain color.

Existing fillings, crowns, bonding, etc. will not whiten. Therefore, these may need to be changed in order to match your new smile.
If your family or friends notice your new smile, let them know that we can help improve their smile too!