SDI Pola Office - Tooth Whitening System

What causes tooth discolouration?

Everyone’s teeth are unique, therefore they discolour and stain in different ways. The discolouration or staining of a person’s tooth is typically caused by coffee, black tea, herbal tea, red wine, spicy foods such as curry and smoking cigarettes. Tooth discolouration may also be due to aging effects, trauma, tetracycline stains, fluorosis etc.

How does tooth whitening work?

When a whitening product is applied to the tooth, it breaks down into water and oxygen ions. The oxygen ions enter the enamel and dentine and attack the long stain molecules to effectively break them down to be short and colourless. These short and colourless molecules are then naturally removed from the tooth by saliva. The intensity of whitening is related to the number of ions available and the length of time they are on the tooth.

How long does it take to whiten a patient’s teeth?

With in-office whitening, results are obtained in just
30 minutes treatment time. Using a take home whitening system, it can take approximately 5-14 days, however longer time may be required for tetracycline cases. It may take 2-6 months for patients with fluorosis.

How long will the whitening treatment last?

This depends on each individual person and their oral habits. Whitening should be repeated every 1-3 years for both In-Office and Take-Home treatments.
Without a touch up, your patients teeth will start to re-stain by the same thing that caused them to discolour initially, however, they will never return to their original shade.

What if the patient has restorations or
veneers, will these change colour?

Whitening will remove any existing stains on the restorations but will not affect the original shade.

Are there any side effects?

For those who follow the Instructions for Use that come with the pola products, the majority will have no side effects. However, some will experience
temporary sensitivity (dull or sharp, sensitive to hot or cold). This will subside after several hours of stopping the treatment and won’t leave any residual
problems. The wear times can be shortened or made less frequent or teeth can be treated with a desensitizer, soothe. The patient should abstain from carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and beverages to avoid sensitivity.

Is teeth whitening safe during
pregnancy?

It is not recommended to use teeth
whitening products during pregnancy.