Teeth
Whitening - the whitening process
What is involved in
whitening teeth?
To whiten your
teeth you need to keep whitening gel in contact with your
teeth for 1-2 hours (shorter sessions also work, but then you'll
need more of them and you'll use more gel overall). You apply
a drop of gel to each tooth cavity in your custom trays, then
gently push the trays around your teeth.
Then... go gardening, watch TV,
go for a walk, grocery shopping, drive, rest, whatever you
prefer...
After
1-2 hours (there is no point
in going beyond say 3 hours since the gel will have lost its
effectiveness), you remove the trays and rinse your mouth and
trays. Optionally you can apply some remineralisation gel (sold
separately) and re-insert the trays for 10-15 minutes. This is
especially beneficial for those with sensitive teeth.
Repeat sessions every day (or
two or three days apart) and each time your teeth will get a
little whiter.
Simply stop when
your desired shade has been reached and store the trays
and gel for a 'touchup session' in perhaps 6-12
months.
You should wear your trays between
1-2 hours per session. You may choose to have more short
sessions or fewer long sessions
. What matters in the end is the total time your teeth are
in contact with the whitening gel (and of course the strength of
the gel).
If you choose short sessions eg one hour, you
may wear them perhaps once the morning and once at night. A long
session (up to 3 hours) should only be done once a day. A
few people with teeth sensitive to whitening gel may find
that they can only whiten for a certain period of time. In that case you
can simply decrease your whitening time and/or increase the number of
sessions. You can also use a de-sensitising tooth paste such as Colgate or
Sensodyne to alleviate sensitivity. Our remineralisation gel
is specially formulated for people
with sensitive teeth.
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Typically you should
see significant results after 3-4 hours (2-3 sessions).
As you increase the total whitening time, your teeth will continue
to become whiter (providing they can of course) and maximum
results are achieved after 10-15 hours total whitening time
(depending on the strength of the gel and the initial condition of
your teeth).
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That
question is hard to answer because the final result
depends very much on the quality of your teeth, the thickness
of the enamel, the initial colour, the amount of staining, your age
and other factors.For most people the results can best be described as a
'significant difference' .
'Before and
after' results can be dramatic. But note that certain stains
such as those from fluorosis (mineralisation of the tooth
- caused by fluoride), tooth calcification,
anti-biotics damage etc. are difficult or impossible to
whiten. Consult your dentist if you are in doubt about any of these
conditions.
CAUTION: some people have quite unrealistic
expectations of how white their teeth will get (or should
be). These expectations result mostly from images in magazines, posters, Hollywood Stars, TV stars etc.
They are also generated by
teeth whitening companies (particularly in the USA) offering virtually instant
results with gels similar to ours. Sadly it's old
story again: "if it's too good to be true....."
As
an example take a look at the images below. On the left a 'real' picture. On
the right a picture used in an advertisement. A miracle
teeth whitening product?
No, there are many techniques to get teeth
white and computer enhancement is
the most common one for magazines and posters (like the
example above). Bright lights in TV studios will always show teeth
as 'very white'. People with a lot of money can afford to have
their teeth veneered or re-surfaced with new high-tech
(super-expensive) coatings. Expect to pay around NZ$400-800 per
tooth for these techniques.
Why shouldn't I buy a cheaper system like I see
on trademe.co.nz?
Consider this example (cut and pasted): B/Now $11 Huge Reduction
DENTAL TEETH Whitening
1. 10ml of Dental
Strength USP grade 35% carbamide peroxide (3X More Gel) 40 APPLICATIONS ##
2. 2 x Moldable dental trays for top & bottom teeth;moldable &
custom fitted to your teeth for more precise whitening & less
irritation.
3.Easy to follow comprehensive instructions with numerous
helpful tips.
There's even an image:
Custom fitted to your
teeth by putting the tray into hot water?! And the image above is
real?!
Need we say more?
What do I do once my teeth
are white?
Once
you have completed a
whitening course and achieved the results you were looking for
(typically after 4-5 sessions - the time depends of the strength of
the gel used, the total whitening time per day and the shade of
whitening you desire), you should clean your trays thoroughly (possibly
with a soft toothbrush) and store them in a safe place for future
use. Over time teeth will become less white, perhaps as a result
of tobacco, tea, coffee, red wine, food colourings and other
substances. In time you may decide to repeat the whitening process and
your orginal trays can be used again (providing they are kept
away from heat, chemicals etc). All you need to do is purchase
some whitening gel (or use your unused gel), use the
original trays and achieve the same great
results again. UniWhite supplies enough gel with the initial purchase of a system to allow future
touchups. You can keep the extra gel unrefrigerated for
at least 1 year and at least 2 years if
refrigerated.
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The gel
UniWhite supplies contains carbamide peroxide in a glycerine base
and we provide 22% strength gel as well as 35% in all whitening
kits. Both strengths are effective in whitening teeth, a lower
strength simply means you have to continue the whitening process a
little longer. Our gels contain no fluoride or animal byproducts and are produced in the USA
under FDA guidelines.
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Each syringe contains 10 ml of gel (some
air bubbles will be present) and is sufficient for at
least 30 sessions
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Note: the gels
are 'sticky' to keep the trays in place and the
gel does not run out of the trays.
See our Specifications if you are
interested in finding out or need to know what our gels
contain
Why doesn't a tray system work as fast as I see
teeth whitening on TV makeover shows?
The whitening
system used on TV makeover shows is in fact similar to our
system. The only difference is that an extremely strong gel is used
(about 3-4 times the strength). It is so strong and caustic that only
a dentist can perform the procedure. The gums and all surrounding
soft tissue have to be protected by applying a protective layer to the
gums and clamps hold your soft tissue away from the tooth surface.
Gel is then applied and left for an hour or so (sometimes a
light source is used as well). What you do in an hour in the
dentist chair is equivalent to 5-6 hours with our system. A problem
often encountered with 'laser' whitening (as it used to be called)
is colour recession: you look in the mirror immediately after the
treatment and you will have achieved a certain shade. But often the
next day that shade has become slightly darker again. Another side
effect of this 'harsh' treatment can be painful teeth for several
days afterwards.
We found these two images on a website advertising a
certain 'as seen on TV' and 'quick' dentist performed teeth makeover
- which actually takes two weeks in total if you read the whole
story. We guess it comes complete with protective sunglasses for
the people that this guy meets afterwards:
The picture on the left
is the 'before', the one on the right could
be you the next day at work or meeting your friends!
Think anyone would notice anything different about
you?
A Uniwhite System on the other
hand allows complete control over the final shade of whiteness
and the time taken to reach that goal. Feedback from our customers
suggests that one of their most satisfying experiences is to
hear "Hey you look great and there's something different
about you, but I cannot put my finger on it". We don't think
the person above experienced that!
Why does
UniWhite supply 22% and 35% gel?
Research and experience has shown that 35% is a strength most
people can tolerate comfortably. It is the best compromise
between whitening speed and your teeth's tolerance to the whitening
action. Any faster (as in 'higher strength') would most
likely cause tooth sensitivity. A small percentage of people
however have naturally sensitive teeth. They would find it
difficult to cope with 35% for 2 hours for example. The choice is
then to use 35% for a shorter period (and use it up faster as a
result) or to use a lower strength gel for the recommended
period. The answer therefore is: we provide you with 10ml
of each strength so that you can decide for yourself whether
22% or 35% is the best strength for you (UniWhite will gladly
exchange the 35% gel for 22%, should you find that 35% is too
strong for you).
| 'No' is the answer for
dental work such as caps, crowns, fillings
etc. You may find that if you have a capped tooth for example,
your dentist matched its colour closely to your teeth at
the time of fitting. Over time your teeth may have become stained,
while the cap would have remained much the same shade. When
you whiten your teeth, you can match your teeth to
your dental work again (and remember that the matching is up
to you by adjusting the amount of time of whitening). You can even
decide to go past the point of matching, whiten your teeth further
and have your cap replaced |
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Observe how the large
capped tooth below has remained mostly white while
the natural teeth have stained over time
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Not that we are
aware of. Teeth Whitening has been around for many years (the Carbamide Peroxide
method since 1988) and no side effects have been shown. Only people
with very sensitive teeth may find their teeth feeling a little 'tender'
afterwards. Do not worry, that sensation will pass with time. Our gels will
not harm the enamel, dentin or pulp of the tooth
. Click here for more information on safety
.
Sadly, no. Over time your teeth will again be exposed to everyday
chemicals such as those found in
tea, coffee, wine, sauces, smoking
etc. Eventually the chemicals in these will stain your
teeth again. All is
not lost however. The staining process will generally take years (just like it
did before you began the whitening process) and all
you need to do is maintain your teeth occasionally. After a while (months or years)
you may decide that your teeth are
in need of another shade or two. Simply purchase some more
gel (or use the remaining gel from your system), re-use your custom trays and
after a session or two, your teeth will be white
again. Between maintenance periods, regular brushing with a
good toothpaste should take care of most daily
stains. Always visit your dentist regularly for a really thorough clean
(that is 'clean' as opposed to
'whitening').
-
Your trays, which you keep for
life
-
Some gel (you can buy additional
gel on our website)
-
A few more hours of whitening
-
A mirror and a big
smile!
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