What do we know about tooth whitening?

A priori the natural color of teeth is white which is typical for all babies. In ideal condition the color of your teeth must have the same tinge as a white part of your eyeball. But with the laps of time our teeth become dark, stained and less attractive due to consumption of coffee, tea, red vine, tobacco and other products with coloring pigments. That is why nowadays more and more people resort to the help of dental bleaching (tooth whitening) intending to restore the whiteness and brightness of their smile.

It is interesting to know that the history of dental whitening began about 150 years ago and the first methods on basis of oxalic acid (natural source - sorrel) as an active chemical agent where used. Earlier, in the Roman Empire they used carbamide for the same purpose.

At present the common reagent for bleaching is represented by hydrogen peroxide and the procedure of whitening oxidation reaction which can be accelerated by energy of light.

There are two more used principal methods of tooth bleaching:

• at-home bleaching - takes about 2-3 weeks, involves a whitening agent of low concentration, less effective;
• in-office bleaching - 1 visit to a dental office, involves a whitening agent of high concentration so as a light activity for chemical reaction acceleration (laser tooth whitening or Zoom whitening) , more effective and more durable.

In any event even most permanent tooth bleaching persists just a few months. Among negative effects it is possible to get the teeth more sensitive or overbleached.