Dental bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is a common procedure which gives brilliance and whiteness to the teeth darkened by antibiotic assumption (i.e:. tetracyclines), bacterial pigmentations, food (coffee, tea, red wine), tobacco, and by structural changes of dental tissues (enamel and dentin) due to aging. The most utilized and longer lasting method is the one that uses a carbamide peroxide whitening gel.
This oxidant agent penetrates through the micro-porosities of enamel and reaches the deposits of pigmenting substances, all the way into dentin. The whitening gel is provided in different concentrations and it is applied on the tooth surface with customized transparent trays similar to mouthguards used by athletes. These trays can be worn at home during the night for about 8-9 hours (home treatment), or in the dental office waiting room for about one hour (in-office treatment). Other gels are meant to be applied directly over the tooth surface by the dentist while the patient is seated in the dental chair (chairside treatment), for about one hour. These gels may require the activation with a light source.
