Opalescence tooth whitening

What is Opalescence tooth whitening

Opalescence is an in-office tooth whitening method aimed at bleaching by means of the hydrogen peroxide gel.

Who is a good candidate for the treatment

The reason of this treatment is to improve the appearance of teeth by their whitening. Yellowish teeth colour can have a number of causes: consumption of foods containing colour pigments (coke, coffee, tea), tobacco smoking or a death of a tooth caused by an injury or an old filling.

Before the treatment

An appropriate method of tooth whitening can be determined for each patient after a thorough dental exam and an overall diagnosis. In 99% of patients, teeth need to be prepared by a dental hygienist, i.e. the patient undergoes the entire tooth scaling process. Teeth whitening is only performed after that. However, thanks to new methods, all patients can have a brighter smile after their dentition is healed.

How is the treatment performed

During tooth whitening in a doctor´s office, the soft tissues of the oral cavity will be entirely protected. Then the whitening gel will be applied to the surface of the teeth. Teeth will be exposed to the whitening gel in four 15 to 20-minute sessions. During the procedure, a dental cheek and lip retractor and a tongue protector will be used to keep your mouth open. Once the procedure is completed, all of the gel will be removed, along with soft tissue protection. Before and after the procedure, the shade of the teeth will be determined.

After the procedure

The procedure does not require special post-procedure care. In case of sensitivity, common analgesics are recommended. After tooth whitening, both in the office and at home, it is necessary to follow some recommendations regarding food and beverages. This is most important in the 48 hours (2 days) after the whitening procedure but the longer they are followed, the better the whitening result and its durability will be. It is called a white diet; please refer to the instructions given to you by the dental hygienist. Normal duration is 1 – 3 years.