Protocol for teeth whitening using tray-based tooth bleaching systems.

The following outline describes how dentist-dispensed tray-based teeth whitening (teeth bleaching) systems employing a 10% carbamide peroxide whitener are generally utilized. In regards to your own treatment protocol, your dentist will need to provide you with instructions that are specific for your situation and the whitener that you will be using. It is important for you to stay within the guidelines of the instructions you are given.

In general, the tray-based at-home teeth bleaching process is composed of the following steps:

A) The pre-bleaching dental examination.

Before bleaching treatments are begun, your dentist will need to perform a thorough dental examination so they know that you are in good dental health. As a part of this examination your dentist will document the current shade of your teeth. They will also enquire about aspects of your health history, life events, and consumption habits as they might relate to the current coloration of your teeth.

Collecting this information will help your dentist to identify the nature of your tooth discoloration as well as assist them in determining if tray teeth whitening is an appropriate means by which to attempt a change. Once they have ascertained the most likely cause of your tooth staining, your dentist will be able to provide you with an idea regarding what degree of whitening might be expected, how long the bleaching process might take, and what side effects might be anticipated.

Should you whiten just one arch or two?

During the examination appointment you and your dentist must decide if you will whiten both your upper and lower teeth, or just one or the other. Usually a person's greatest concern is the appearance of their front upper teeth and some people start out by just bleaching them.

There can be some good reasons to approach the whitening process in this fashion. One of them is related to the fact that a person's unbleached teeth can provide a source of comparison. The contrast between the treated and untreated teeth can make it easy to see exactly what progress is being made. Sometimes this ready reference provides a source of encouragement and helps to motivate the person to continue on with their bleaching regimen.

Another reason people sometimes only bleach their upper or lower teeth is related to cost. Dentists typically charge for teeth whitening by the arch. An "arch" is dental terminology for either the upper or lower teeth. A person's complete set of teeth is composed of two arches. If you whiten just one arch you can anticipate that your whitening treatment costs will be approximately half of what you would pay to bleach both arches. After you have successfully bleached one arch you can, of course, always begin the whitening process with your other arch.

During the examination process your dentist will identify any dental work which exists on those teeth you have chosen to whiten. It is imperative for you to realize that the shade of existing dental restorations will not lighten (with some exceptions). Restorations that exist on whitened teeth will need to be replaced after the bleaching process has been completed. Prior to initiating the whitening process you should be aware of the amount of time and the cost that will be associated with performing this dental work. It might be substantial.

B) Taking impressions for the bleaching trays.

One important feature of dentist-dispensed tray-based teeth whitening systems, and one that both increases their effectiveness and minimizes their side effects, is that they employ the use of "custom" bleaching trays. As their name implies, these whitening trays are individually fabricated and fitted for the person who will wear them.

The first step involved in the process of creating custom bleaching trays is for your dentist to take impressions of your teeth. From these impressions your dentist will create plaster the casts. The bleaching trays will then be crafted on these casts. In most cases, once your dental impressions have been taken your dentist will need at least a few days to complete the tray fabrication process.

C) Fitting the custom bleaching trays.

Once your custom bleaching trays have been fabricated your dentist will ask you to make an appointment to return to their office. During this visit they will evaluate, and refine as necessary, the fit of your bleaching trays.

The bleaching trays themselves are usually clear. Typically they are made from a soft flexible plastic. One bleaching tray is made for your upper teeth and a separate one is made for your lower teeth. Custom bleaching trays are usually trimmed so they fully cover each tooth but come just short of lying on your gum tissue.

D) Your dentist will demonstrate how to place teeth whitener in the bleaching trays.

During the dental appointment when your bleaching trays are fitted your dentist will dispense to you an initial quantity of teeth whitener (10% carbamide peroxide). In most cases this whitener will be a thick gel that comes in small syringes or a plastic bottle. Your dentist will show you how to place small dabs of the whitener into your bleaching trays. As a means of minimizing the amount of whitening gel that is used during each application, the whitener is usually just placed in those aspects of the tray that touch the front side of your teeth and only in those portions of the tray that cover over the teeth you want to lighten.

After the whitener has been placed into the tray and the tray has been positioned over your teeth, there will usually be some excess gel that escapes from the tray onto your gums. As a way of minimizing the potential for gum irritation, it is best to wipe this excess whitener away with your finger or a toothbrush.