Teeth Whitening

Teeth Whitening / Bleaching

Teeth can become discoloured for multiple reasons; tooth decay, lifestyle (red wine, tea, coffee, smoking), age, poor oral hygiene, certain medications and excessive fluoride when teeth are forming during early childhood.
Only dentists are qualified to assess the cause of tooth discolouration and advise you of the appropriate treatment.
At Cranbourne Road Dental Care we believe one of the best forms of tooth whitening is a take home bleaching kit with a custom fit tray. We can take a mould of your teeth and then at a subsequent appointment supply you with a tray that is made perfectly to fit your teeth. At this appointment we will talk you through how to use the trays and the bleach. We then supply you with the bleach to take home so you can bleach your teeth in the comfort of your own home.

There are various types of bleaching agents that can be used to whiten teeth. Our dentists will assess your teeth to decide which would be the most appropriate for your teeth. The bleach is applied to the custom fit trays and then the trays are worn anywhere between 45 minutes and overnight (depending on which type of bleach the dentist has determined is right for you). The trays are then worn everyday for 2 to 4 weeks until you are satisfied with the shade achieved or until you find the teeth are not getting any whiter.
Everyone’s teeth will discolour again over time (usually over 1-3 years depending on the cause of the initial discolouration). The beauty of take home bleaching kits is that when the teeth discolour again you can get some more bleach and bleach the teeth again.

Side effects of tooth bleaching.

There can be some side effects to teeth bleaching; some people may find that their teeth become more sensitive after bleaching, some people may find their gums become irritated, occasionally some people may get mouth ulcers or a sore throat. Your dentist will discuss with you what to do if you experience any problems while bleaching.

Internal bleaching of a root filled tooth.

If a tooth has turned dark after root canal treatment it may be possible for our dentists to bleach that individual tooth and restore some of that tooths whiteness. This can be done by removing some of the filling at the back of the tooth inserting a bleaching product into the back of the tooth and then closing over the hole with a temporary filling. The bleach is then left in place for approximately one week. At a follow up appointment if the tooth has sufficiently lightened the dentist will remove the temporary filling and the bleach from inside the tooth and place a permanent filling back in the back of the tooth. Occasionally the internal bleaching may need to be repeated more than once if the discolouration is particularly dark.