Teeth whitening through cosmetic dentistry

The process of whitening teeth or bleaching as it is commonly known has been around for over one hundred years. The actual process of how the whitening is done has evolved during that period and now falls under the category of cosmetic dentistry.

The need for whitening teeth arises from a various causes. Bad habits such as smoking and poor dental hygiene in addition to old age can cause an ugly discoloration of the teeth. Even factors like genetics and diseases can be causes of discoloration. In recent times do-it-yourself home whitening kits have become very popular; but the treatment process is a little long and often cumbersome.

A new process called laser teeth whitening is known to give the best results. This treatment is done in office and is known to be painless. In this process, a whitening gel is first applied on the patient’s teeth. A laser is used on the gel thereafter and it this laser that activates the crystals contained within the gel. The activated crystals then lighten the teeth by penetrating the enamel. Usually the treatment does not require more than one visit to the dentist and the length of the treatment is dictated purely by the amount of discoloration that is encountered.

The process of installing porcelain veneers is used to combat discoloration, but is mainly used to restore or repair damaged teeth. This process is a little bit more expensive than the laser treatment, so it is not ideal if used for teeth whitening only.