Teeth whitening- May harm your gum

Jun 07, 2009

TEETH whitening is the use of a bleaching agent to remove stains or make one’s teeth whiter, according to Dr. Sessanga, a dental surgeon at Tropical Clinic on Bombo Road.

By Mathias Safari

TEETH whitening is the use of a bleaching agent to remove stains or make one’s teeth whiter, according to Dr. Sessanga, a dental surgeon at Tropical Clinic on Bombo Road.

“The majority of people who bleach their teeth are those whose teeth have become stained due to consumption of hard water and excessive smoking,” says Dr. Sesanga.

He adds that the teeth stains may be superficial, inherited or deeply embedded.

The superficial ones are easy to remove because they result from careless brushing.

“If one brushes with a whitening toothpaste three times a day, or polishes the teeth, the stains will go away,” Sessanga says.

However, the deeply embedded stains and the inherited ones are more serious because they are enrooted in the structure of the patient’s teeth.

“Professional attention is required and gurgling or brushing with hydrogen peroxide might not do the job,” says Sessanga.

He says there are cases though, when the stains may be so grave that no form of bleaching can remove them.

Process
A thorough dental check
An accurate measurement of the patient’s dental make up and bleaching plates are prepared. The plates are teeth fitting caps that are meant to protect the person’s gums because hydrogen peroxide — the commonest bleaching agent is corrosive and capable of damaging the gums and the oral cavities if not controlled.

The bleaching plates are fitted as protective covers and hydrogen peroxide is applied. The operation requires the patient to put on the bleaching plates for at least six hours.

The bleaching plates are removed and the snow whitened sets of teeth exposed.
Brush with tooth paste that contains potassium nitrate.

Warning
Hydrogen peroxide is an acid and can damage the gum.
Dark-coloured foods and drinks like soda must be avoided for at least a week after whitening.

Not every one can get the “snow white colour”. There are some people whose teeth are naturally dark.

Pregnant or nursing women should avoid teeth whitening since the swallowed bleaching agent might harm the unborn baby.

Teeth whitening costs between sh600,000 to sh2m, depending on where you go. The service is more affordable in public hospitals like Mulago and Mengo.

The teeth slowly get back to their original colour after two to three years.

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