In general dentistry, teeth whitening or teeth bleaching is very common procedure. A white teeth generally reflects the lifestyle of a person and indicative of his good personal and dental hygiene. Teeth whitening in Lexington, KY generally, is part of cosmetic dentistry. As the name implies, it governs tooth whitening and removal of tooth stains and discoloration. A younger person basically has whiter teeth. As a person ages or gets older, the mineral structure of the teeth starts to alter while the enamel parts of the teeth become less sturdy therefore producing darker teeth. The teeth can also be darker because of certain food intakes, antibiotic medicines and smoking habits.
Teeth whitening in Lexington, KY can be commercially attained by using oral health products such as tooth brushes, tooth paste, mouth rinse, dental floss or even menthol flavored chewing gums. For an in-office consultation or appointment for teeth whitening procedures, two methods generally apply which are the high concentration gel bleaching and the low concentration gel bleaching. The high concentration gel bleaching is carried out by placing highly concentrated carbamide peroxide or other oxidizing agents to the affected teeth area. This may take a while but it produces best and immediate results. This procedure is repeated to attain the best results. On the other hand, low concentration gel bleaching is commonly done at home. This procedure involves placing a mouthguard on the affected teeth area that is thin enough to support a small amount of oxidizing agent. This mouthguard is placed on the affected teeth area on an hourly basis and might take even weeks to see the result. Low concentration gel bleaching is primarily less effective than the high concentration gel bleaching.
Teeth whitening in Lexington, KY can also be in the form of a power whitening method known as light accelerated bleaching. This method is also known as laser whitening or bleaching and it uses light to accelerate the process of whitening in the dental office or clinic. There are three commonly used light energy source in this procedure which are plasma arc, halogen or LED (Light emitting diode). Among the three, as tested on dental offices or clinics, halogen was named the best light energy source for such procedures. This procedure generally takes six to fifteen minutes of light energy source exposure unlike other power whitening methods that last for over thirty minutes.
Teeth whitening in Lexington, KY can also be done at home by using natural teeth whitening methods. These alternatives are primarily less expensive and the material used for such procedures could be easily purchased in numerous stores or even found at home. One known natural teeth whitening method is made by using malic acid. Malic acid is found in fruits, usually in pulpy fruits. The pulp of the fruit containing malic acid is placed on the affected teeth area for a certain period of time, usually around five minutes. Another natural teeth whitening method is by tooth brushing with baking soda. These methods are known as basic whitening treatments.
