Bleaching

Dental bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is a procedure involving the use of
bleaching agents to break down the pigmented compounds in the teeth to achieve
teeth whitening.
Bleaching materials are based primarily on either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Carbamide peroxide reacts with water to form hydrogen peroxide. A bleaching product containing 10 percent carbamide peroxide yields approximately 3.5 percent hydrogen peroxide.

Description of the procedure
Dentists will use different bleaching methods according to the patients’ oral
conditions. Generally, the dentist will first take impressions of the patient’s teeth to make a set of models. A custom whitening tray will then be constructed based on the models and the patient should fill the tray with the bleaching solution and wear it over the teeth overnight. The tray should be worn every night according to the dentist’s instructions and the patient should attend follow-up appointments according to schedule. In the dental clinic, the dentist can use heat or a strong light to catalyse the bleaching reaction to whiten teeth in a shorter time. The treatment duration normally lasts for three to six months.