Teeth
Whitening
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is completely hygienic and you never touch your client or their mouth. The procedure is effectively a DIY teeth whitening kit with an LED light accelerator to give the client maximum results in less than one hour. With the kit alone and no accelerator these results would take weeks of continuous treatment. This accelerated treatment is gentler on teeth and gums as there is less time with tissue exposed to the chemicals.
How does teeth whitening work?
Most of us start out with white teeth, thanks to their porcelain-like enamel surface which is composed of microscopic crystalline rods. Tooth enamel is designed to protect the teeth from the effects of chewing, gnashing, trauma and acid attacks caused by sugar. But over the years enamel is worn down, becoming more transparent and permitting the yellow color of dentin – the tooth’s core material – to show through.
During routine chewing, dentin remains intact while millions of micro- cracks occur in the enamel. It is these cracks, as well as the spaces between the crystalline enamel rods, that gradually fill up with stains and debris. As a result, the teeth eventually develop a dull, lackluster appearance.
There are two types of tooth staining, extrinsic staining and intrinsic staining.
Extrinsic stains are those that appear on the surface of the teeth as a result of exposure to dark-colored beverages, foods and tobacco, and routine wear and tear. Superficial extrinsic stains are minor and can be removed with brushing and prophylactic dental cleaning. Stubborn extrinsic stains can be removed with more involved efforts, like teeth whitening. Persistent extrinsic stains can penetrate the dentin and become ingrained if they are not dealt with early. Intrinsic stains: Are those that form on the interior of teeth.
Intrinsic stains result from trauma, aging, exposure to minerals, chemicals and antibiotics like tetracycline during tooth formation and/or excessive ingestion of fluoride. These stains exist below the enamel and are unlikely to benefit from teeth whitening.
How white can you go?
Teeth whitening results are subjective, varying considerably from person to person. Most are immediately delighted with their outcome. Before you embark on any whitening treatment, ask your client whether they have had teeth whitening in the past 2 years or have been using any home whitening products as this may reduce the results. Expectations play a major role in teeth whitening. While whitening can occasionally lighten tooth color by nine or more shades, most of those who whiten their teeth are likely to see a change of two to seven shades.
