Focus on teeth whitening - interview with Gradsach Gabriella

16. October 2021.

Since you would encourage Patients who have been to the dentist for a long time and / or are afraid, why should they come to you?

Gabi G.: Because I do my best to make the procedure as painless as possible, I pay close attention to every request, I regularly give an anesthetic gel to the gums before the treatment, remove tartar / discoloration to the best of my knowledge and then help with a better brushing technique. On hygienic occasions, I typically instruct the Patient in a personalized way to achieve and maintain the best results together.

Many people ask what kind of toothpaste and toothbrush to use (electric, manual, bristle hardness)? What do you usually recommend?

Gabi G.: I usually recommend the toothpaste according to the needs of the given patient, if you complain of sensitivity then, I recommend the toothpaste that helps it, if a lot of acidic effects affect him then, but I usually consider it important if there are no other problems with fluroids in the toothpaste. I consider it very important for the patient to use a soft toothbrush and electric head, and I usually recommend the Curaprox toothbrush in this case, which is also very good in terms of hardness and is designed to have good access to all teeth.

Since you have highlighted teeth whitening, I would like to note here that it is also important when what color toothpaste is used, e.g. it is advisable to avoid colored toothpastes, but I will talk about this later, if you ask me. :)

As a dental hygienist, you also do teeth whitening. What is the difference between a dental hygienist and a doctor’s whitening?

Gabi G.: Dental hygiene (i.e., cosmetic, as referenced in the ads) teeth whitening is done with a 6% hydrogen peroxide substance, and medical one with at least 10%. (Note: My experience is that although we tried peroxide-free whitening, the extent of tooth discoloration was negligible, so we stayed with the peroxide type.) So the fundamental difference is in the type of whitening gel used and the drug concentration.

The characteristic thing is that what we do is a cosmetic whitening, which whitens the tooth with a few shades (2-3) depending on the patient's tooth material, and the medical one is a stronger concentrate whitening, which can make more (up to 5-7) shades the tooth will whiten, depending on the tooth original color. Of course, the sensitivity levels also differ significantly between the two versions.

Can you tell us briefly how teeth whitening happens? What are your steps?

Gabi G.: Of course.

Outpatient teeth whitening consists of several steps. A basic screening test is also performed, and bleaching is always preceded by tartar removal. So the steps are as follows:

tartar removal
applying a gum protection gel to the gum surface (this is necessary so that the gum is not damaged during the activation of the whitening gel)
the bleaching agent is applied to the surface of the teeth (then the mucosa is isolated according to the previous point)
then we activate the gel with the help of our Beyond Polus Advanced cold light technology lamp, which exerts its chemical effect, thus achieving several shades of whitening
3-4. repetition of phases, in a total cycle of 3 x 15 minutes, with varying intensity, which is adjusted to the Patient in each case to avoid tooth sensitivity.

Thus, the activation of the active ingredient is max. 3 x 10-15 minutes, but the bleaching itself takes more time, as after each "round" we remove the activated gel, purify, re-apply a "crude" gel, which is activated in several rounds. So to achieve the right effect, we perform the whole cycle several times. Typically, the time required for such an intervention can be between 1 and 1.5 hours in total, combined with sufficiently detailed information.

How often can teeth whitening be performed and what should be followed to make the result more lasting?

Gabi G.: I would recommend teeth whitening every year, it is not worth exaggerating this, it is more necessary to pay attention to what a person should eat in the few days after teeth whitening. Foods and beverages that promote discoloration (eg red wine, coffee, cigarettes and other tobacco products, beets, curry ...) should be avoided for the first few days and, if possible, mainly "white" for 3-4 days or even 1 week, or the patient should consume transparent foods / beverages, as the teeth whitening material "works" in the tooth after whitening, the final tooth color after whitening is not immediately apparent.

In this case, you should also use a white toothpaste. I would also recommend that if you eat a more colorful / acidic food / drink, then drink a glass of water. We will inform the Patient about what to do at the end of the treatment so that he can be as happy as possible with the achieved result!

Finally, if you know, reassure us that teeth whitening will not damage the enamel or damage your teeth. What is your professional position on this?

Gabi G.: Teeth whitening does not damage the enamel if it is applied according to the correct procedure, and as described earlier, the mandatory steps of the treatment are carefully followed in all cases. I am always embarrassed by this, even if it takes a little longer to intervene, but with us, safety comes first, both for me and my colleagues.

I find it important to note that if the tooth enamel is very thin or the tooth necks are sensitive, you can expect a short-term discomfort after teeth whitening, which goes away in a few hours, no need to worry. If the whitening procedure was performed on completely intact teeth, there will be almost no side effects of the procedure.

Here, too, the Patient should remain moderate, it is not advisable to repeat the whitening procedure too often, I suggest skipping at least half a year between cosmetic whitening sessions (although in principle it could be repeated every 3 months according to the paper form). If the Patient pays attention to the restrictions of the first days on what to eat and what not to eat, then I think there can be a spectacular difference for up to 1 year, but this, of course, largely depends on the individual's oral hygiene and habits.

Thank you for the interview!

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