Indications and contraindications
The Air Flow procedure is indicated not only for those who want to have a whiter smile. It will be useful and effective in cases where:
- Extensive pigmentation and plaque on enamel (due to smoking, drinking wine, tea, coffee);
- Periodontitis (inflammation of the gums);
- If therapeutic treatment is needed;
- When preparing teeth for prosthetics;
When fitting and removing braces.
Additional important indications are crowded teeth, malocclusions, and malocclusions. Using the system allows you to clean hard-to-reach areas that cannot be reached with floss or a toothbrush.
Contraindications to Air Flow dental cleaning:
- Allergy to the components of the cleansing composition;
- Bronchial asthma;
- Inflammatory lesions of the oral mucosa.
Features of technology
Professional teeth cleaning with the Air Flow system is performed with a sandblaster using water, soda and compressed air.
- The procedure will return the enamel to its natural color.
- Qualitatively cleans hard-to-reach areas.
- Cleans orthodontic constructions;
- Maintains the integrity of the enamel.
- Eliminates bad breath caused by plaque.
- Duration of treatment: it is only 30 minutes.
How Air flow cleaning is performed
At the initial appointment, the dentist evaluates the condition of the teeth and oral mucosa, determines the amount and extent of plaque. Immediately before the procedure, the patient wears a cap and safety glasses to prevent dust from getting into the eyes and hair.
Next comes the cleaning itself, which is carried out in several stages.
- Removal of hard dental plaque with a scaler (dental device).
- Cleaning with the Air Flow system.
- Teeth polishing.
During the finishing, polishing, a fluoride compound is applied to the brush, which reduces the sensitivity of the enamel and strengthens it.
After the procedure, the dentist advises the patient on home oral care and recommends the choice of toothpaste and toothbrush. Doctors recommend that you have your teeth cleaned at least once every six months.
Types and methods of teeth whitening
A wide sincere smile is very much needed in our daily routine. It is always much easier to interact with friendly people who smile sincerely. We get the feeling that they are open to communication and friendly toward us. This applies not only to informal socializing, but also to colleagues at work, sales clerks, and simply strangers we encounter on a daily basis. A wide and beautiful smile is a symbol of success and a happy life.
What to do if you are not naturally endowed with beautiful, snow-white teeth? There is no need to despair, because modern dentistry offers all kinds of methods of solving this problem – different types of teeth whitening. Various methods of whitening will help you change the shade of your tooth enamel, make it lighter, fresher and more attractive and you will be able to please yourself and your loved ones with a stunning smile. It is important to choose a whitening method responsibly since all methods differ from each other and can give completely different results. If you are interested in modern methods of teeth whitening, this article will be of interest to you. Here we will look at the different options for whitening procedures, their advantages and disadvantages. Here you will find answers to your questions and the best solution.
What are the benefits of teeth whitening?
A beautiful smile is the basis of external attractiveness and inner comfort.
Brightening your tooth enamel makes a big difference:
- Your smile becomes brighter and more attractive to others.
- You look younger, because as you age your teeth lose their natural shade and become darker, duller.
- You feel confident in yourself.
What affects the shade?
It is important to understand that people do not naturally have perfectly white teeth. Underneath the enamel is the dentin, its true color is yellow. The color of enamel depends on how transparent it is. Its normal color can vary from gray-white to yellow-white. It is influenced by genetic predisposition and lifestyle. Smokers may have darker teeth because they get brown plaque on their teeth. Dyes found in coffee, black tea, wine, fruit juices, and other foods can also darken the enamel.
To achieve what they want, many people try to solve the problem without the help of a specialist, which is fundamentally wrong. If you want to know the answer to the question whether it is safe to whiten teeth at home, then our answer is no, it is not always safe. First, you do not know what condition the enamel is in, how thick it is, whether there are microcracks in it. Secondly, you do not know how to properly control the effect of whitening agents (these can be gels, special pastes with a special composition, etc.), and therefore you cannot predict how effective this or that method will be for you.
Some people who really want to save money but don’t know how to whiten their teeth use hydrogen peroxide. This is not the best choice, because it can cause yourself irreparable harm. It is better to spend some time, find a good specialist and learn how to whiten your teeth from your dentist, because only he will be able to advise and help with the choice.
Teeth whitening: types and methods
Mechanical method
The simplest and longest used method in dentistry to brighten the enamel of teeth. It is a mechanical cleaning, which uses special attachments. The advantages of this method are the effective removal of plaque, fossilized deposits on the teeth, prevention of tooth decay and gum inflammation. After the procedure, the dentist treats the teeth with an enamel protectant.
Photobleaching
This method makes it possible to change the color by about 8 to 10 tones at most. In the process, the dentist applies an appropriate whitening gel containing hydrogen peroxide and activates it with appropriate radiation. Halogen, ultraviolet and LED light can be used. One session lasts 15 to 30 minutes. After photo whitening, a fluoride product is applied to the teeth in order to reduce the sensitivity and protect the enamel.
Chemical whitening
This is one of the gentle methods, so your teeth may only be 5 to 7 shades lighter. If you don’t know which teeth whitening method to choose, you can start with this one. A whitening gel is spread evenly over the enamel. If you do it by a professional, he or she will apply a compound with a high concentration of whitening agent. Beforehand, your gums will be protected with a latex plate, so that the soft tissues are not damaged in the process. Neither laser nor ultraviolet light is used. Chemical bonding is contraindicated if the patient has polymer fillings, crowns, or veneers.
Intracanal bleaching
It is also called endo-whitening. This method may be offered if the tooth is very black after treatment and filling of the root canals. The doctor prepares the tooth, puts a special compound in it, and then fills it. When the result is achieved, the tooth is restored. This type of whitening can only be done once.
Laser whitening
If you want to have your teeth whitened, only your doctor can determine which method is best. He will recommend exactly what best suits your situation. It can be said that laser whitening is now the safest way to whiten your teeth and it is popular. The effect of it is long-lasting. Therefore, despite the higher cost compared to other techniques, this method is very beneficial.
The procedure goes like this:
- The surface of the teeth is cleaned of plaque and calculus so that the color is uniform.
- A retractor is placed in the patient’s mouth to help isolate the lips, cheeks and mucous tissues from the whitening agent.
- A liquid cofferdam (a polymer that hardens under the influence of a special lamp) is applied to the edge of the gum. The patient wears glasses to protect his eyes.
- The dentist applies a special gel to the enamel.
- Under the active action of the laser, the composition is activated. Oxygen molecules penetrate into the deeper layers of the tooth enamel, they remove the pigmentation that accumulates there. It takes about 1-2 minutes to treat each tooth.
- After the procedure, the doctor will treat your teeth with a toothpaste containing calcium and fluoride. This will help strengthen the enamel.
You can explore all types of teeth whitening in dentistry beforehand, but you will probably like this one more than any other, because it is suitable even for sensitive teeth. It will take you about 1.5 hours to get a beautiful, sparkling smile. You will feel comfortable in the process, as everything is painless. This method has been chosen by Mikroravi Hambakliinik specialists as a priority. Before the procedure, we make sure to remove plaque and tartar. This is necessary in order to get the maximum effect.
With proper care, you can keep the result for up to two years. We must take into account the fact that each case is different, so how white our teeth will be depends on our initial data. The color is also influenced by our taste habits. If you are used to eating a lot of colorful foods, you may very well have to resort to a whitening procedure more often. It is worth remembering that coffee, fruit juices, black tea, fruit, balsamic vinegar, tomato juice, soy sauce, red wine, carrots, beets and blueberries can cause darkening and staining of teeth.
Previously, many people believed that this method was harmful, but this data has long been irrelevant. Thanks to modern technology, it is simple, fast and as safe as possible.