Although tooth color may vary individually, they may not remain the same over time and may turn pale. Depending on how much we eat, drink and take care of personal oral care, our teeth turn pale and yellow over time. This can aesthetically distress us. We can say that it is common wish of everyone to have a white smile by removing the pale color of our teeth.

The color of our teeth may become yellow/pale by the staining elements absorbed by the tooth tissue over time, and some stains adhering to the tooth surface will also make the teeth yellow. In addition, some structural defects can cause yellow teeth. Due to some medications used in infancy, discoloration may occur in later years. In the teeth that have lost their vitality, internal discoloration because of deterioration of the tissues inside can be seen.

First of all, we should not resort to various methods that we think we can do ourselves to whiten our teeth. This can occasionally cause irreversible damage. However, with a dentist’s check, your problem can be simply identified and an appropriate treatment can be applied to you in a correct and permanent way. To better determine the cause of the discoloration, a professional dental cleaning is performed by the dentist. We recommend that you have this scaling (cleaning) done in accordance with your needs during the 6-month checks. During dental scaling, stains on the tooth surface are removed and the tooth’s own color is exposed. In this way, if the tooth color still appears yellow and pale, applications are needed to whiten the tooth’s own color.

First, the tooth surface is cleaned and the tooth’s own color is exposed. The teeth can be bleached with chemicals such as carbamide-peroxide or hydrogen peroxide applied to the tooth surface. There are basically two methods

A transparent and soft thin plaque is prepared for the teeth. The syringe-shaped bleaching gel is given by the dentist. This gel is squeezed into the plaque and the plaque is put into the mouth. It is applied by the patient himself/herself. By putting on this plaque for  2-4 hours a day, usually an enough bleaching is achieved in 1 week. The dosage of bleaching can be adjusted by extending or shortening this time.

A higher concentration of whitening agents is applied to the surface of the tooth by the dentist and is generally completed in 45 minutes to 1 hour. Since the applied chemical agent will cause damage to the gums and soft tissues, the dentist should completely isolate the teeth from the gums, cheeks, and lips. Bleaching agents are applied to the tooth surface and the waiting phase is started. This period is completed by activating the bleaching agent with laser or UV rays.

From time to time, these two methods can be combined and repeated every 6-12 months to achieve a more excellent result.

No permanent damage arising from tooth bleaching or whitening has been detected. Tooth whitening can cause sensitivity, especially when the tooth tissue is highly permeable. This sensitivity can give an unpleasant sensation and will disappear within 24 hours and is not permanent. Tooth whitening time should be shortened due to sensitivity. For these people, teeth whitening should be performed in more sessions and in shorter periods.

Following the bleaching process, especially in the first weeks tea, coffee, red wine, cherry juice, cigarettes and some mouthwashes which color teeth should be avoided. In the first weeks, teeth will be more open to external factors. The long-term success of teeth bleaching is directly related to the patient.

Internal bleaching in one tooth.

From time to time, some of our teeth may lose their vitality,  and the color of these teeth become darker, These teeth require canal treatment. Discoloration and darkening of these teeth are treated with internal bleaching agents which are applied to the root and inner part of the crown. Bleaching agents which are placed in the tooth are renewed every few days and repeated until the desired result and color is achieved.