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Is Teeth Whitening Safe?

Is Teeth Whitening Safe?

Is Teeth Whitening Good?

Many people would like their teeth whitened but are afraid of the side effects. So the question we ask is teeth whitening safe? Does teeth bleaching damage enamel?

The results are guaranteed if done by a qualified dentist. According to the American Dental Association, the bleaching ingredient carbamide peroxide is approved according to American standards and is both safe and effective. It won’t damage the enamel of your teeth neither is it cancer causing.

Keep in mind that there are minor side effects. This all depends on the concentration of carbamide peroxide used. If used at 15% at home every night for 14 nights then you should have very little irritation and sensitivity. The in office bleaching on the chair with a laser will cause a little more sensitivity and irritation as a dentist uses higher concentrations of carbamide peroxide which is at 35%. That is why our treatment is a 14-day treatment at 15% carbamide peroxide followed by 35% carbamide peroxide in office bleach.

Teeth Whitening

A common side effect of teeth whitening is tooth sensitivity. That is why we use 15% so that you will get less sensitivity. We find that rubbing some Colgate pro-sensitive or Sensodyne pro-repair on the teeth will help the sensitivity and also if you take a pain killer. This sensitivity usually doesn’t last very long and should subside in one or two day’s time. Another wise thing to ask your dentist if you have very sensitive teeth to give you a high concentration of fluoride several days before starting the teeth bleaching.

The best place to whiten your teeth is at a dentist’s. It is both safe and effective and you can go up to 9 shades whiter. It is the most effective treatment as compared to any other dental treatment. It is not good to get your teeth whitened at spas, cruise ships, and salons. It is only safe at a dentist’s office due to the dentist conducting an exam before or prescribing a teeth whitening treatment. A dentist will make sure there are no broken or decayed teeth.

There are patients that get worried if the teeth whitening bleach will affect their dental amalgam or silver fillings. We have chosen to discontinue dental amalgam and silver fillings as we offer the latest technology. The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) assures that it is not a real health issue. Not only is dental amalgam benign in its mercury content, but the bleach will not destroy other dental restorations like crowns and implants. It will also not have any effect on white colour fillings; it might slightly whiten the fillings.

There are many blogs and natural ways to whiten teeth online but through research, you should know that putting strawberry, coconut or lemon paste on your teeth will damage the enamel in the long term. Fruit acid wears away the top enamel making your teeth look whiter underneath in the short term. When enamel is worn away by acid, teeth begin to look worn, old, and discolored.

Call us now to book a dental implant appointment.

Is Teeth Whitening Bad For Your Teeth?

Is teeth whitening safe?

Teeth whitening is only good for your teeth if it is done by a dentist.

Almost universally, teeth will get darker with age. For most older people, their teeth will turn kind of a brownish yellow—not necessarily from smoking, from coffee, or wine. Our hair turns white, and our teeth turn yellow. I wish it were the other way around. Other teeth turn out to be grayish. There’s a whole spectrum of what is normal.

Is teeth whitening bad for you

Whatever the cause, are over-the-counter teeth whitening products effective?

There are two types of discoloration: intrinsic, the one that develops with time and is the natural color. Then there’s extrinsic color due to deposits on the teeth from smoking or coffee or other materials or due to medication taken by the patient—or by the mother when the patient was in utero. We also have patients who just don’t take good care of their teeth.

Bleach will not work with a stain from major deposits caused because a patient has not brushed their teeth. If we’re not taking care of our teeth, we’re not going to get a very effective whitening from any type of product. The teeth have to be in a healthy condition; if a patient hasn’t been to the dentist for a while and if there are any cavities or decay going on and the whitening material gets within that cavity, it can cause excruciating pain

So we have to start with teeth, gums, a patient who is healthy. Then, over-the-counter whitening agents can work effectively. But because it’s not dentist-monitored, many of them don’t do anything. For instance, a mouthwash containing a whitening agent such as hydrogen peroxide probably is not going to be very effective. There are some products that use a light that we flash on our teeth to accelerate whitening. Even the whitening lights that we use in the dental office are no more effective than other ways of whitening teeth.

If you want white teeth, dentists have tried-and-true methods. Some allow us just to paint on a whitening solution to sit on the teeth a half hour, 45 minutes in the dental office. Totally different from the material you buy in the drugstore. It’s highly concentrated; the gums actually have to be protected from this material. These teeth whitening systems are NOT bad for your teeth as they are closing monitored by a qualified dentist or oral hygienist.

Are there any over-the-counter teeth whitening products that you would recommend?

Crest Whitestrips work. There are trays which are purchased in the pharmacy, put into water and heated, and placed into the mouth to mold the tray to the patient’s mouth. Then whitening agent is put in. Those work. I said mouthwashes wouldn’t whiten your teeth, but if you’re going to be rinsing six to nine times a day and holding it in your mouth for a couple of minutes, and you’re going to do this for two or three months, we’d probably see a whitening occur. Look at the label—they’ll have some type of peroxide.

But there is no guidance by a dentist to monitor all this. Are the gums becoming irritated? Is the patient overdoing it? Are there cavities that are going to get sensitive because of this material? Will the teeth become as white as what is done in the dental office? Probably not as rapidly. It might take two or three months with over-the-counter products, whereas when we use products that can only be purchased in a dental office, those are going to work within three or four days to a week or so.

Does dental insurance cover teeth whitening?

Mostly not. That’s a cosmetic procedure.

How often should a person whiten his or her teeth?

I can speak to the products we use in the office: when we whiten, usually it will last about two years. I generally recommend patients touch up that bleaching every time they have a cleaning on a six-month basis.
The recommended procedure, and least expensive, is a home bleaching procedure. This is the best teeth whitening system for you. The dentist takes an impression of the patient’s mouth and from that impression makes a whitening tray. It fits in the patient’s mouth like a mouth guard. Whitening material can be placed inside in a gel form. Some people wear them overnight, while they’re sleeping; other patients wear them during the day because they’re virtually invisible. This is meant to be worn for an hour or two, once a day.

I think any over-the-counter product can be harmful, because it can be easily misused or overused. As a matter of fact, whitening materials in the dental office, over a prolonged period of time, could probably do harm. We don’t know for certain. We have had patients come in who had a burn mark on their gums because they’ve overdone it. This is all reversible harm, but we’ve had patients for whom we have gone through the home bleaching, they did the right thing, and they called a day or two later in excruciating pain. They were sensitive to the material. They could still bleach; we had to adjust the concentration and how the tray was fitted to their mouth.

If you want to whiten, you should consult your dentist first.

Whitening in general can have problems. It’s very rare. But this is what dentist-monitored whitening is about, to make sure that you’re doing it effectively.

Click here to learn more about our teeth whitening procedure.

Dentist in Kloof

Just 20 minutes away from Kloof lies a world class dental office. The Silver Oaks Dental Clinic truly offers the best in dentistry today, along with outstanding patient service. This option for a dentist in Kloof offers everything from basic dental fillings to advanced cosmetic dentistry options such as Dental Implants and Veneers. The following details are what you can expect from the Silver Oaks as an option for a dentist in Kloof. Dr Richard Huson spent over 20 years in the Harley Street Region of London and has become the go to dentist when it comes to dental implants and dental veneers. He has placed in excess 500 implants and 1000 veneers all with excellent results. Click here to view our smile gallery

General Dentistry

Choosing Silver Oaks for your choice as a dentist in Kloof will provide you access to the highest quality in dentistry using only the best materials that are of European standards. You won’t have any reworking on your teeth in the long term. Furthermore, we endeavour to make our patient’s experience as seamless, comfortable and painless as possible. To do this, we offer a choice of anesthetic options from nitrous oxide happy gas to conscious sedation or full-out general anesthesia. We will discuss during your consult, which option would best suit you.

Cosmetic Dentistry – changing the look of your teeth

If you have generally healthy teeth and just need to perfect your teeth and improve your confidence then our option for a dentist in Kloof is just the right fit for you. Payment plans can be arranged for various cosmetic dentistry treatments. It must be noted that cosmetic improvements to the teeth are not covered by dental plans. The most basic lift you can do for your smile would be to whiten your teeth. This gives the added bonus of youth and good hygiene. Our approach to teeth whitening is a blend of at home bleaching with an in office laser treatment. During the treatment, patients will be given custom fit trays which can be used later on to maintain this newly found brightness.

Dental Veneers

Veneers are another way to change up the look of your teeth. It allows you to straighten and whiten your teeth in one go. Unlike braces that take over 2 years. Veneers can straighten and whiten your teeth in just 2 or 3 appointments over a two week period. Essentially, veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that are attached to the front of your tooth. They improve the appearance because they can be shaped and coloured to give the desired outcome. With dental veneers, gaps and discoloured teeth among other issues can be instantly solved. Porcelain veneers do not stain, so with regard to discoloured teeth, the colouring will remain for its lifespan. It takes just 2 visits to the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Kloof to fit the veneers, with a follow up visit for a check-up. Click here to learn more about veneers

Clear Aligners & Adult Orthodontics

The first solution for fixing problematic teeth at our dentist in Kloof would be the Inman Aligner braces. They are clear when worn and removable so that you can attend that important event or meeting without anything on your teeth.  They are used for cases where teeth are not overly in need of orthodontic intervention. The Inman Aligner/Clear Aligner is patented and has a case history of straightening teeth between 10 to 16 weeks depending on the severity of the case. The second solution for fixing problematic teeth from the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Kloof are dental crowns.

Now whereas veneers are placed over the front of the tooth, crowns are placed around the tooth. Dental Crowns are turned to when a patient has lost much of their tooth. This could be due to decay or trauma. The role of the dental crown is to fill up this space and give structure back to the tooth. They do add an aesthetic improvement but they do serve a functional value as well. Dental crowns are milled in-office at Silver Oaks. This means that you could leave with your newly fitted crown in a single visit. Overseas visitors taking advantage of the affordable dental rates at our practice are well suited to our one-day cosmetic dentistry services. The third solution does not relate to problematic teeth but when there is no tooth or teeth at all. If you have lost one or all teeth, then all hope is not lost.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are your saviour at the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Kloof. Dr Richard Huson is a specialist when it comes to Implantology. Besides his medical degree from the University of Stellenbosch, he has a certificate in Implantology from the University of Cambridge. Dental implants give you back a permanent tooth, negating the need for ill-fitting dentures, but also serves to keep your facial features intact. The earlier they are fitted once the loss of teeth has occurred results in lesser loss of bone since the implant helps with the jaw bone not shrinking further. Dental implants are the most extreme dental treatment one can have done. Not everybody will qualify and our dentist will have to do a thorough evaluation to ensure that you meet the criteria. If the go ahead has been given, then your treatment plan and quote will be laid out to you. Implants take the course of several months to complete. A damaged tooth may have to be removed and the area healed before the implant can be inserted. The dental implant is surgically inserted into the jaw bone. It takes a couple of months for the implant to become a firm fixture in the bone. Since the implant is well into the bone, an abutment (which is just an extender piece to the implant), will then be attached. The replacement ‘tooth’ is then attached to the abutment. The replacement is simply a dental crown that is manufactured according to detailed instructions at our clinic. It is a long process to get implants but much of the time is for healing. As with all cosmetic dental procedures, but more especially with the permanence of this treatment, you must ensure to choose a dentist with the relevant training and experience for the best possible outcome which is what you should expect to receive at the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Kloof.

Click here to view more details about dental implants

Protecting your teeth

Using the Silver Oaks option for dentists in Kloof allows you access to getting Max mouth guards. We sponsor the South African Rugby team and the Sharks Rugby team with Mouth Guards. Mouthguards are essential in any contact sport to protect your teeth along with lessening facial trauma. Unfortunately, this is only achieved with a guard that has a proper fit over the teeth. This is what the Max mouth guard serves to do. Silver Oaks is one of the few dentists that offer fitting for the Max mouthguard. The design allows for a custom fit and layers of protection with virtually no interference to your breathing or speech.

Dentist in Hillcrest

Silver Oaks Dental Clinic offers the highest quality in dentistry with the latest technology in order to perfect your smile.

We are based in Musgrave, Durban, with offerings of general and well as cosmetic dentistry. We are a 20 minute drive from Hillcrest. The Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Hillcrest serves to cater to the entire family. Let’s take a further look at the services provided by Silver Oaks as an option for a dentist in Hillcrest.

General Dentistry Information – all of the materials used at our practice are sourced and imported according to the highest quality and meet European standards.

Dr Richard Huson has over 20 years of experience and worked in the UK in the Harley Street Region of London. He currently lives in Hillcrest. Our dentist in Hillcrest is always on par with the latest advancements in dental technology.
We have many options for nervous patients and patients who want a pain free, relaxing procedure. This includes Nitrous Oxide Sedation (happy gas), Intravenous Sedation, or General Anaesthetic. We use the “Wand” (pain-free injections) and have a host of other techniques which will make your experience as pleasant as possible. We are not contracted to medical aid but we do give you a code so that you can claim back from your medical aid.dental veneers pros and cons

Digital Dentistry – has revolutionized dentistry and in particular, the cosmetic side. Digital x-rays are offered at Silver Oaks, with the benefit of much less radiation exposure than from traditional x-ray machines. Digital dentistry also encompasses cosmetic imaging which allows our dentist to show you the various outcomes of our services before it can be performed on you. You can have a say on which you like best and the course of action can then be plotted.

Dental Implants – permanent loss of teeth is no longer something that can only be fixed with those nasty dentures. They are not very comfortable to wear and only worsen with time as the jaw bone shrinks due to lack of support. Dental implants provide permanent relief from this along with a host of other issues. Essentially, they are little pieces of titanium screws that are surgically inserted into the jaw bone. This can be done under conscious sedation or general anaesthesia. Majority of people are candidates for implants but if a case such as weak bone density presents itself, then implants are not an option. Our option for a dentist in Hillcrest, will fully assess the situation during a consult and let you know of a treatment plan should you qualify. At this juncture, we should note that dental implants are the longest and most expensive dentistry procedure. It takes over 3 months for the implant to become bonded into the bone. Once this has happened, the dentist will attach an abutment device to it. This is what the dental crown will then be attached to, and voila, you have a brand new tooth.

Dental Veneers – as far as dental treatments go for cosmetic options, veneers are among the more conservative. It is not too hectic of a process to have them fitted, not much tooth structure is removed and they are cheaper than many other options. These super thin pieces of porcelain material can do wonders once they are placed on the tooth. The shape, size and colour of a tooth can be changed with a veneer. Problems such as stained, crooked or gapped teeth can therefore be fixed with veneers at the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Hillcrest.

Dental Crowns – are used to fix up a tooth that has lost much of its structure. Cases in which they help include decay which has made its way deep into a tooth. In such an instance when removal of the decayed portion leaves a huge deduction of tooth material, crowns serves to bring back this lost structure. At the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Hillcrest we are able to do this restoration within a day. Our onsite laboratory allows us to work closely to ensure that measurements are precise and perfectly in line with our design. With dental crowns as well as veneers, the dentist needs to be an artist of sorts. You want that perfect smile but it also needs to look natural and complement the rest of your facial features. It is a pretty bold move putting all this into the hands of a dentist. At the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Hillcrest, in addition to having a professional who has worked at the famed Harley Street in London, there is also the security of liaising with him and having input in the design of your dental crown through digital imaging. This is software that allows the dentist to show you the various outcomes of what crowns or even veneers can achieve for your smile. This will then be relayed into your treatment plan.

Teeth WhiteningTeeth whitening is the most basic cosmetic improvement one can do for their smile. In addition to looking physically pleasant, they also bring the advantage of looking younger (since teeth do discolour as one ages) and having good hygiene. Teeth whitening is achieved over 3 visits to the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Hillcrest. These include a combination of bleaching trays to use at home and a laser at the clinic. The combination is done for the ongoing maintenance of the attained colour for a longer time.

Clear  Aligners and Orthodontics – for the milder cases of teeth straightening, the Silver Oaks option for a dentist in Hillcrest, offers the Inman Aligner. Straighter teeth is just 10 to 14 weeks away with this patented teeth straightening system. The length of time would depend on each patient’s circumstance. The course has proven very effective and safe within the short span of time in which it takes to work, offering great value for money. It is not a permanent attachment and can be removed if need be.

Mouthguards – are a service provided by your friendly Silver Oaks dentist in Hillcrest option. Custom made guards from the Max brand are available here. They are custom fitted so they fit perfectly over the teeth and offer better protection all while allowing for speech and breathing.Oral Hygienist in Durban