Teeth Whitening in Villavicencio

Tooth whitening lightens the natural colour of the tooth using a peroxide-based gel that acts on the molecules giving the enamel its shade. It does not grind the tooth down or remove material from it.

It is a treatment for people with healthy teeth who want a lighter shade, particularly where the colour has darkened over the years or with coffee, tea, red wine or cigarettes.

An assessment is needed before whitening and, in almost every case, a professional cleaning. Decay, marked sensitivity, inflamed gums or leaking fillings are treated first: gel applied over a tooth with a problem can make the discomfort worse.

In the surgery or with home trays

• In-surgery whitening. The dentist protects the gums and applies a higher-concentration gel over one or more sessions depending on the case. It is the most controlled option and a change is visible from the first visit. It tends to suit people who want a result within a short timeframe.
• Home trays. Impressions or a scan are taken and the laboratory makes trays moulded to your teeth. You load them with a lower-concentration gel and wear them at home for the period we specify. It is more gradual and many patients find it more comfortable where sensitivity is a concern.
• Combined. One or two sessions in the surgery, then trays at home to refine the result and for top-ups later on.

Over-the-counter products and home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda or lemon do not do the same thing: some only remove surface stains and others can damage enamel and gums.

Why results vary and what will not whiten

Everyone starts from a different base colour and responds differently. Yellowish staining, from age or from food and drink, usually lightens well. Greyish staining responds less. Tetracycline staining and fluorosis may improve only partly and sometimes need a different solution, such as veneers.

A tooth darkened by root canal treatment is a separate case and is handled with a different technique, from inside the tooth.

One thing is worth knowing before you start: whitening gel does not change the colour of composite fillings, crowns, veneers or inlays. Those materials keep their shade. If you have visible fillings on your front teeth and you whiten, they are likely to end up darker than the tooth and may need replacing to match. That is why whitening comes before any aesthetic work, not after it.

Sensitivity and how long the result lasts

Cold sensitivity during or after whitening is common and generally temporary, usually lasting hours or a few days. It is managed with desensitising pastes, fluoride applications, spacing the sessions out or lowering the gel concentration. Tell us if you feel it, because the protocol can be adjusted.

How long the result holds varies. In general it lasts months or a few years, and depends mostly on your habits: coffee, tea, red wine, dark fizzy drinks and cigarettes bring the shade back faster. Patients with trays can do short top-ups when the dentist advises it.

Whitening is not carried out during pregnancy or breastfeeding, nor on under-18s without a prior assessment.

To find out how much your case could lighten and which option suits you, book a consultation at Higienista Oral: 0312 4869987, 0312 4869987 or penaerika4872@gmail.com.