Beautiful teeth in San Antonio. Bleaching – Safe and successful, but only in a dental clinic!

Consuming too much coffee, tea, red wine and nicotine means the naturally bright color of your teeth can instead turn to shades of yellow and brown. If you want to change that, the best thing to do is to visit a good dentist in your area here in San Antonio. Because a dentist will be familiar with the cosmetic issues relating to the brightness of your teeth. 

Bleaching is only safe in the dental clinic

Professionally performed medical tooth whitening (bleaching) has a very high success rate. However, not every patient responds equally well to the bleaching method. Together with the dental professionals in the clinic, it is important to find the best solution for each patient individually.

These are the common methods for bleaching by dentists:

1. In-office bleaching

With highly concentrated bleaching agents and the use of light, the teeth are whitened directly in the dental practice. Mucous membranes and lips are protected.

2. Home bleaching

Home bleaching can be used after an in-office bleaching treatment or separately. The patient fills a custom-made splint with low-concentration gel and slides it over the teeth. This is done daily for a period of about two weeks and can be repeated later.

3. Walking Bleach

This internal whitening or ‘walking bleach’ technique is carried out by a dentist placing the whitening agent inside the tooth and closes it with a temporary restoration. The tooth then whitens over a couple of days while the patient is ‘on the go’ (hence ‘walking bleach’). The whitening can be repeated a couple of times and finally the tooth is sealed off with a permanent restoration. An internal bleaching procedure such as the walking bleach technique can be used for whitening of discolored root-filled teeth.

The modern bleaching procedures are safe and medically proven. A gel enriched with hydrogen peroxide is used for this. The hydrogen peroxide is activated by light (LED, UV or LASER) and discolors the deposits in the tooth enamel. Before each bleaching, the teeth must be cleaned thoroughly and professionally. Lips, mucous membranes and gums are covered.

In the event of hypersensitivity or other unpleasant reactions that can occur in individual cases, the dental clinic has the appropriate measures at hand. If teeth whitening is carried out with the right method and by qualified personnel, the risks are minimal and the chances of success are high.

Bleaching with a brush, adhesive strips or a standard splint should not happen under any circumstances!

Luckily, the times when you tried to whiten your teeth at home are over. Regulations now put medical teeth whitening in the hands of dental professionals in the practice: According to the cosmetics regulation, products that contain more than 0.1 percent to 6 percent hydrogen peroxide may only be used under direct dental supervision.

So if you want to make your smile shine with brighter teeth, you should definitely seek advice from your local dental practice in San Antonio; TX. The best way to permanently beautiful and healthy teeth is regular prophylaxis and check-ups in the dental practice.

Tips from the professionals: Questions & answers about bleaching in “Your City or Area Code”

Why can slight pain occur after bleaching?

Dr. Suri: “The bleach contains chemical ingredients that strip minerals from tooth enamel. As a result, its protective effect is briefly interrupted. After bleaching, the teeth are therefore overly sensitive to heat and cold for a short time.”

Which bleaching method is the best?

Dr. Suri: “The choice of bleaching method should be coordinated with the dentist. Highly concentrated gels work more intensively and faster, but belong in the hands of the dentist. Not so highly concentrated gels can be applied at home – but you need more patience for the effects.”

When can I eat normally again after bleaching?

Dr.  Suri: “After the bleaching, normal eating habits can be resumed immediately. However, the discoloration starts all over again: If you drink a lot of coffee, tea or red wine, you risk renewed discoloration in the long run.”

Who should whiten my teeth?

Dr. Suri: “Bleaching is only safe in the dental practice. Because the reason for the discoloration could also be related to underlying health problems. The dentist therefore only whitens healthy teeth!”

How much does bleaching at the dentist cost?

Dr. Suri: “I cant give you a specific number for this. Bleaching is a private service that patients have to pay for themselves. The dentist can set the price for the teeth whitening themselfs. In general, you should budget around $300 for bleaching at the clinic plus $100 for a professional teeth cleaning prior to the treatments.”