Different stain causes | Taobao Whitening | What percentage should I use? | Charcoal Toothpaste | Home Whitening | Clinic Whitening | Preparation & Aftercare | Pricing
Excellent experience at Aidencare! Dr. Sum took great care in explaining me the teeth bleaching procedure and did a very good job, super satisfied with the results. A professional team and high quality environment. Highly recommend it!
- Davide
Teeth whitening is a minimally invasive and relatively low-cost procedure, making it one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry treatments. Results are essentially immediate and the effects can last for several months if appropriately cared for. When it comes to teeth whitening, most people think of the clinic in-office whitening treatment.
Nowadays there are so many home do-it-yourself whitening options available online - some work and some totally don't work. In this article I will go through how whitening works along with answering some common questions associated with whitening and debunking common myths associated with whitening
Why are my teeth so yellow, brown and black?
As time goes by, the underlying dentine may be more visible. Since dentine is yellow in colour. Usually brown stains are caused by coffee but if you have black teeth you might have decay, so best to get it checked out.
Can I just get the whitening stuff off Taobao?
We all love a good purchase off Taobao, I've bought furniture for a fraction of what it costs back home in UK. I've also made some bad purchases - usually clothes are poor quality and don't fit well. Unfortunately Tooth whitening solutions from Taobao are not recommended for 3 reasons:
The whitening gels are not high enough concentration to have any effectiveness
The "high percentage" stuff usually is not actually licensed to be sold and It could be fake
The "whitening trays" they provide are usually poor fitting and do not contain the gel in the mouth well, which could be harmful to your gums and not provide contact between the gel and the teeth.
So What percentage whitening do you need?
There are 2 types of whitening chemical; Hydrogen peroxide or Carbamide peroxide and usually the concentration needs to be at least 10% so if you see these 2% or 0.5% mouthwashes or toothpastes, there is not much scientific evidence that these are effective.
Does Charcoal toothpaste work?
Yes it can whiten your teeth, but it can also strip away your enamel! Therefore I don't recommend it.
What's better? Clinic Whitening or Home whitening?
First you should decide how white you want your teeth, because quite often I will recommend both. Doing the clinic whitening first then doing the home whitening the following week.
Clinic Whitening usually takes 1 hour in the dental chair with 3 X 15 minute applications of 40% Carbamide peroxide in the same visit
Home whitening consists of the clinic making a custom tray to place the 15% whitening gel into. Then you take home the whitening kit and wear the trays at night for around 1 week.
But what are the different parts that come with the package? For more information on:
Home Whitening - Click here
Clinic whitening - Click here
Preparing for your whitening & aftercare
Usually a cleaning and sandblasting is highly recommended before we do any whitening, this will get rid of superficial stain and allow the whitening gel to soak in better. Afterwards the teeth whitening may be quite sensitive so we recommend some tooth sensitivity toothpaste.
At Aidencare, We have 2 whitening packages available for great value:
1. Standard Clinic whitening package:
3680 RMB
a. Check up
b. X ray assessment
c. Scale and polish
d. Chairside whitening (Applied 3 times with 40% peroxide)
2. Standard Home whitening package:
2880 RMB
a. Check up
b. X ray assessment
c. Scale and polish
d. Home whitening kit (8 cartridges to take home)
Dr. Oscar Sum is a dentist in Shanghai practicing in central Shanghai who performs Implant surgery, Orthodontics, and other advanced dental procedures.
Please call 19117386506 or scan the QR code to enquire about an appointment with Dr. Sum
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