TEETH WHITENING

Improve your smile with the most appropriate treatment

Smile and Care dental clinics offer different solutions to improve your smile and the aesthetics of your teeth: orthodontics (changing dental positioning), tooth whitening (lightening teeth’s existing shade) and composite or ceramic veneers (modification of dental hue and shape).

Teeth whitening: which technique?

Teeth whitening is intended to lighten the colour of the enamel and dentin by using a whitening product in the form of hydrogen peroxide gel (oxygenated water). Hydrogen peroxide is a highly reactive product containing hydrogen and oxygen that whitens teeth very effectively.

Its use is highly regulated, however, as misuse can damage teeth.

At Smile and Care, aesthetics and attention go hand in hand.  Any of our patients who desire teeth whitening must first have a dental check-up to ensure there are no contraindications such as cavities, periodontal diseases, pregnancy, devitalised teeth, or gum irritation. Teeth whitening should not be done on children or adolescents.

The result of teeth whitening is visible in the days following treatment, and lasts on average 4 years, depending on the patient’s lifestyle. Heavy consumption of coffee, tea, or tobacco clearly lessens the long-term effects of whitening.

Smile and Care offers three bleaching methods:

1. Home whitening

This teeth-whitening treatment is included in a three-appointment package.

This treatment consists of taking dental impressions to make custom trays. The patient is provided with a professional bleaching product that will be used in conjunction with the trays. Thanks to the product, teeth regain their whiteness and shine in a few days’ time.

A post-whitening appointment is included in this package to guarantee results and patient satisfaction.

2. In-clinic whitening

This treatment is carried out entirely in our Grand-Saconnex and Eaux-Vives clinics, and is done over two appointments.

At the first appointment, dental impressions are done to make a custom, flexible plastic tray which used to hold the highly concentrated bleaching gel.

Our dental hygienists then do the bleaching at the second appointment. Lasting for 2 hours, this appointment allows 3 to 4 applications of the product.

This treatment is ideally suited to light dental shades.

3. Devitalised teeth whitening

Devitalised teeth that have undergone root treatment tend to turn grey or yellow over time. If the devitalised tooth in question is visible (canine or incisive), the colour contrast may bother the patient.

Our specialists have a highly effective technique: a whitening product is placed directly inside the tooth, giving it an identical shade to the other teeth.

It is worth noting that not all devitalised teeth can benefit from this internal whitening – a method that only applies to teeth with a shape and structure that is intact. This treatment is done in several stages:

• A hole is drilled on the tooth’s internal facet
• The hydrogen peroxide-based whitening product is then inserted into the tooth
• Lastly, the hole is sealed

This whitening is gradual, and 2 to 3 sessions are usually enough for the tooth to regain its original colour.