best tooth whitening method?

mimihops

hi all, just wondering what is the best tooth whitening method around or is there a huge difference to them? there are so many advertised like zoom, home trays and all that. and what is the difference between deep bleaching and tray bleaching? so confused!! my dentist only offers home tray bleaching but i think i will go to a prosthodontist anyway as i need a crown done as well, he may have more options. anyway i googled on it but am still confused so any opinions or thoughts are welcome as i want to get the best possible, don't want to damage my teeth or cause unnecessary sensitivity etc. thanks!

georgieporgy

Deep Bleaching is the best method plus least sensitivity. Results are permanent with a little maintainence.

The diff between home tray bleaching and deep bleaching is basically the fit of the trays. Ordinary trays tend to be rather loose fitting and may or may not overlap the gum. Saliva leaks in after a while (approx 2 hours)and dilutes/contaminates the bleach which reduces its effectiveness.
Deep Bleach trays are super sealed to prevent this leakage so the bleaching gel remains active all night . So wearing DB trays nightly for 2 weeks is similar to wearing ordinary trays for 2 months. The 2 week at home treatment is preceeded and followed by a 1 hour inoffice session using a different fast acting bleach gel.
This 3 step combination is what gives the dramatic results.

The bleach gel is specially manufactured for this tecnique with apprpriate viscosity and an anti sensitivity sealant. To maintain the new shade you should wear the trays one night every 6 months (cost approx 5 euro of gel material).

Other 1 hour inoffice bleaching systems which make use of lights (often referred to as 'lasers') to activate a strong bleach gel that is applied to your teeth have varying degrees of success. They offer instant results which generally relapse after a couple years. They use a much stronger gel which temporarily dehydrates the teeth which exagerates the instant white result . When you first look in the mirror your teeth look really white. This lasts about 2 days. Providers of such systems usually encourage their customers to wear home trays for a couple weeks after treatment to 'set' the colour. It is actually this home treatment that does the job of whitening really.

There is much much more to it than this, but I have tried to outline the main differences between the systems used.

Bleaching products used by dentists are safe and will not harm your teeth. Products used by non professionals may or may not be safe.

Big_G

I would agree with georgy here except to say that several studies have shown an average regression of 2 shades in two months for light activated bleaching systems. The light appears to dessicate (dry out) the teeth and it doesn't do much else. Major marketing gimmick as far as I'm concerned.

mimihops

Thanks, thats excellent info and exactly what I needed. Plenty of food for thought. Well I didn't have much faith in the zoom systems anyway so was mainly wondering which was better between deep bleaching and normal tray bleaching. My dentist doesn't offer deep bleaching but I will ask later at the prosthodontist as he does a lot of cosmetic work. I have a recently root canal treated tooth, would that bleach with the deep bleaching method or would you have to look at internally bleaching etc? Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it.

georgieporgy

Deep Bleaching will very often whiten the root filled tooth or at least whiten it enough to please you. It will take longer, meaning you simply have to wear the tray with bleach on just that tooth for another week or two. Then depending on just how things look you can proceed with internal bleaching if necessary. ( and that is not an exact science either....)

I agree with Big G's comments also.

I know most of the dentists in the country that do deep bleaching. PM me your location and I will give you a name or two. Or you can google 'Deep Bleaching Ireland'. That should throw up something.