Teeth whitening

We distinguish two main methods: whitening in the dental surgery (in-office bleaching) and whitening at home.

How we work

Information about whitening, its risks and the cost of the procedure, diagnosis, determining the shade, whitening at home, Power Bleaching and replacing the old fillings. These lighten too, so their colour is matched again – that way the result is truly good.

When to decide against whitening

Contraindications are:

• pregnancy;
• poor oral hygiene and periodontitis;
• sensitive tooth necks;
• fillings in the visible area;
• unwillingness to follow the dentist’s recommendations – about 2 weeks without coffee, tea, red wine and cigarettes, so that the teeth do not absorb stains.

Whitening methods

The methods differ according to where the whitening agent is applied. In intracoronal methods it is placed in the pulp chamber of the crown of root-treated teeth. Vital teeth are whitened with extracoronal methods: the whitening agent (35 % hydrogen peroxide) is applied to the outside of the enamel and activated with a light or heat source – plasma lamps, laser or LED systems.

Photocatalytic whitening – step by step

Photocatalytic whitening in one or several visits is preferred to home whitening with a tray when single teeth need to be whitened or when the patient does not want to carry out the treatment themselves.

1. Medical history. The shade of the tooth is documented, ideally with a photograph as well.
2. Isolation. A rubber dam is placed; in certain cases isolation with a light-curing resin is added. When the tooth cannot be reliably isolated from the gum and the neighbouring teeth, only this resin is used instead of a rubber dam. Exposed dentine on bared tooth necks is sealed with a dentine adhesive or special agents (Seal&protect).
3. Gel. 1 mm of whitening gel (Zoom) is applied. The orange-red carotene in it allows precise application.
4. Activation. The gel is irradiated with a curing lamp for 20–30 s, followed by a 5-minute pause. The duration depends on the output of the device – between 300 and 600 mW/cm². If the result is weak, the gel is applied a second time for another 10 minutes with two activations by the lamp.
5. Check-up. The treatment can be repeated at the next visit a few days later, when we check the effect.

Whitening at home

In the surgery we take impressions of the upper and lower jaw, cast models and make soft transparent trays. After the shade is determined and instructions are given, the patient carries out the treatment at home with carbamide peroxide gels: the gel is applied in the trays twice a day and they are worn for one to two hours or overnight (8 hours). As a rule, two to three weeks pass between courses. We recommend a check-up with the hygienist or the dentist twice a week to document the change in shade.