Whitening is a process where the tooth discolouration is ‘whitened’ to a lighter shade.
It removes the staining agent through chemical means. It is a safe procedure when carried out under professional supervision. Treatment results usually depend on the severity of the discolouration. Both vital (i.e. live) and non-vital teeth (e.g. tooth with root removed) can be bleached and may take several visits to complete. It is not effective on dental restorations such as amalgam fillings, metal or porcelain crowns, etc.
Teeth can discolour for various reasons. The dentist will recommend the most ideal method based on your oral condition after an in-office examination to establish the cause and nature of your tooth discolouration. They will also provide you with more information on the various types of whitening procedures available, duration & frequency of treatment.
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-coloured materials designed to cover the front side of teeth to improve the overall appearance of teeth.
They are made of either thin plastic resin or porcelain and can be placed to:
correct poorly formed or mildly mal-positioned teeth
close gaps between teeth
mask internal stains
restore partially broken-down teeth
Tooth preparation is minimal and confined to the enamel structure. The veneer is bonded to the tooth structure with tooth-coloured resin cement. Several visits are necessary to complete treatment.
Patients should be aware that this is usually an irreversible process because it’s necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell.
Porcelain (tooth coloured) inlays and onlays are restorations placed usually on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.
An inlay fits within the confines of the teeth. An onlay covers the entire chewing surface of the tooth. These can be made of either plastic resin or porcelain.
The procedure involves removing decayed tooth structure or old fillings, preparing the tooth cavity, taking an impression of the cavity to fabricate a custom-fit inlay or onlay. Two visits are required to complete the treatment.