Read on to find out more about how teeth whitening works and how the team at Dapto Dentist can help give you a bright, beautiful smile.
What is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is the process of lightening your teeth several shades by eliminating discolouration. There are two types of tooth stains: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic stains are those found on the surface of the tooth and can often be removed with a professional-grade at-home whitening kit. Intrinsic stains are more difficult to remove and require chairside treatment.
How Teeth Whitening Works
Teeth whitening treatments use bleaching agents, usually hydrogen peroxide, to remove tooth stains. The bleach penetrates the enamel (top layer) on your tooth to reach the staining molecules. The oxygen molecules in the peroxide interact with the staining compounds to break the chemical bonds that hold them together. This breaks the discolouration molecules into smaller particles that disperse to reveal whiter, brighter teeth.
Teeth Whitening at Dapto Dentists
At Dapto Dentists, we offer two different Phillips Zoom teeth whitening options:
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Chairside Phillips Zoom Teeth Whitening Treatment
In-chair professional whitening is the safest and most effective way to lighten your teeth several shades quickly. We use the Phillips Zoom system which uses a specially formulated bleaching gel and UV light to break up and disperse tooth stains.
During your treatment, we apply a protective barrier to lips and gums to prevent exposure to active whitening agents.
We then apply concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel directly to your teeth. The gel is exposed to a UV curing light to activate the active ingredients and is left on your teeth for approximately 15 minutes then rinsed clean.
The process can be repeated multiple times within the same session until you achieve the shade you desire.
The Phillips Zoom whitening gel also desensitising ingredients to minimise tooth sensitivity to hot and cold after the treatment.
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At-Home Teeth Whitening Kits
For mild discolouration or to maintain your beautiful smile between visits, we also offer the Phillips Zoom At-home Whitening kit.
The kit comes with a customised mouth tray that is used to hold the concentrated bleaching gel against your teeth and prevent it from touching your gums. The gel contains hydrogen peroxide at a lower concentration than chairside treatment making it safer for use at home. The mouth tray is worn for 1-2 hours every day for up to 2 weeks to help lighten your teeth.
How to Maintain Your White Smile
Although effective, teeth whitening treatment does not last forever. However, there are ways that you can keep your smile looking bright between treatments.
- Limit dark coloured foods and drinks such as coffee, red wine, and tomato-based sauces
- Avoid acidic foods and drinks which can weaken tooth enamel
- Maintain a regular oral hygiene routine twice daily
- Visit the dentist regularly for a cleaning and check-up
- Quit using tobacco products
Last Word
Teeth become discoloured due to age, diet, and lifestyle habits, but you can restore your smile’s natural beauty with professional teeth whitening treatment at Dapto Dentists.
Call us on (02) 4044 0954 to schedule an appointment with our team of skilled and experienced dentists.
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