Dentists fill cavities with carefully-selected materials for each particular lesion. After filling, teeth hypersensitivity will disappear because the filling material closes the small tubes in dentine preventing reception of stimuli.
If the teeth are seriously eroded, the dentists use adhesive filling to fix the problem. However, if the erosion is mild, the dentists may apply 0.4% Stannous Fluoride Gel (Gel-Kum) on the lesion and prescribe it for the patient to use at home.
With periodontitis, the root of the teeth becomes visible. When exposed to stimuli, teeth hypersensitivity develops. Early stages of root exposure can be treated with topical fluoride gels applied by the dentist. At home, patients may be advised to use 0.4% Stannous Fluoride Gel (Gel-Kam) and toothpastes with little or no abrasive component.
Asians have fair and yellow skin due to their race, compared to a fairer complexion for Westerners. This is also true for different teeth. Canine teeth are of darker color than front teeth. Young children's milk teeth have light colour while mature teeth are slightly yellow. When you grow older, your teeth become darker. So let's see what can darken our teeth.
- Frequent consumption of coloring drinks like tea and coffee.
- Dead teeth caused by the impact of an accident, or discolorization of teeth due to treatment of root canal. Teeth tend to get darker when they have no blood vessels that help the tooth grow and develop.
- Tooth decay. Front teeth tend to become darker easily.
- Frequent smoking.
- Excessive dosage of certain medicines such as tetracycline, or excessive intake of fluoride.
Before tooth-whitening treatment, dentists first try to get rid of basic causes of dark teeth, by filling up cavities in the teeth, removing tartar, and polishing tooth. If the patient is satisfied with the result, there is no need for tooth bleaching
Today there are two main types of tooth bleaching treatment.
- In-office bleaching: This type of treatment can be done by dentists at their clinics, with the use of bleaching agents such as peroxide with concentration of 30 to 38 per cent. Each session of the treatment takes between 30 minutes and one hour.
- At-home bleaching: The patient can use bleaching solutions for treatment at home. Dentists prescribe an individual tooth-whitening tray for the patient. The bleaching agent used has far less concentration than that used in the dental office, which makes it safe for at-home treatment. However, the patient needs to meet the dentist regularly.
Bleaching is not a way to permanently whiten the tooth as discolorization can occur again. To treat discolored teeth with permanent effect, other techniques should be used such as dental veneers or a dental crown are recommended.
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