Preparing for Your Tooth Whitening

What bleaching methods are available?

When it comes to tooth whitening, you have several options. The decision often depends on your personal preferences and recommendations. Here are the most common methods:

• Power Bleaching: Bleaching in the dental practice is considered one of the most effective methods. This involves applying a strong bleaching agent, such as hydrogen peroxide, to your teeth and activating it with special lamps. This method provides quick results, often after just one session. Ideal if you want a bright smile in a short time.
• Home Bleaching: This method offers you the flexibility to perform the bleaching at home. Your dentist provides you with dental trays and a bleaching gel, which you apply over several days. It is a gentle and controlled method, allowing you to decide how bright you want your teeth to be.
• In Office Bleaching: Our peroxide-free ALPINE WHITE In Office Bleaching is a gentle yet effective method to whiten your teeth. It uses a specially developed bleaching gel that does not contain aggressive bleaching agents. This method is particularly suitable for sensitive teeth and provides a gentle whitening process without damaging the enamel or causing gum irritation. Ideal for those who want long-term white teeth without sensitivities.
• At-home Whitening Products: These products include whitening toothpastes, strips or mouthwashes. They are a great addition after a professional teeth whitening treatment and help maintain the results for longer.

Before Whitening: Why Dental Hygiene is so Important

A professional teeth cleaning, also known as dental hygiene, is the first and crucial step on the way to white teeth. It is recommended to have it done no more than two months before the whitening. During dental hygiene, discolouration, tartar, and plaque are removed from the tooth surface. This is not only good for your dental health but also prepares your teeth perfectly for the whitening. A clean enamel allows the whitening gel to work better and eliminate deep-seated pigments more efficiently. This ensures that your tooth whitening achieves the desired results.

At ALPINE WHITE, we recommend having the whitening done directly after the professional teeth cleaning. With our Combo and Combo Pro package, you can book both treatments in one session, saving you time. A dental hygienist will ensure that your teeth are optimally prepared for the subsequent tooth whitening.

Proper Oral Care Before Teeth Whitening

Good oral hygiene is crucial not only before but also after whitening. Regularly and thoroughly brushing your teeth helps to enhance and extend the results of the whitening. Before whitening, you should make sure to clean your teeth thoroughly to remove plaque and surface stains. Use a toothpaste specifically designed for the gentle cleaning of the enamel to prepare your teeth for the upcoming treatment.

Things to Consider Right Before

Before starting teeth whitening, there are a few things you should consider to maximise the results and protect your teeth:

• Avoid staining foods and stimulants such as coffee, tea, red wine, or cigarettes for at least one hour before the treatment. These could unnecessarily burden the tooth surface and affect the results.
• Fill out the health questionnaire you receive from us in advance. This allows our staff to ensure that you receive the right treatment for your individual needs. Your dental health is paramount, and it's important that any issues like caries or sensitive gums are treated beforehand.

What Happens During Whitening?

During the tooth whitening process, a bleaching agent, usually hydrogen peroxide-based, is applied to the teeth. It penetrates the enamel and dissolves the pigments responsible for discolouration. In dental practice, the gel is often activated with a special lamp to speed up the whitening process.

It's important to note that teeth whitening can vary in duration depending on the method used. Professional whitening in a dental practice usually delivers visible results faster than home-whitening products, which are applied over several days or weeks.

At ALPINE WHITE, however, we completely avoid using hydrogen peroxide. Instead, we use a gentle alternative to whiten your teeth without attacking the enamel or gums. This means you can carry out more frequent applications without risk and still achieve the same bright results – all without aggressive chemicals.

Directly After Teeth Whitening

The time immediately after professional tooth whitening is crucial for the long-term result. Your teeth are now particularly sensitive to staining foods, drinks, and other indulgences.

We recommend that you avoid the following things in the first 24 hours after bleaching:

• Coffee, tea, red wine and other highly staining drinks
• Smoking
• Mouthwashes containing dyes
• Foods rich in dyes such as berries, curry, or tomato sauce

Dental care after bleaching: Long-term white teeth

Good oral care is key to preserving the bleaching result for as long as possible. At ALPINE WHITE, we recommend using our Whitening Strips daily for one hour in the next 7 days following the bleaching. You receive these for free with every bleaching treatment. The strips help to further stabilise tooth colour and prolong the result.

Also, using a special whitening toothpaste, such as the one from ALPINE WHITE, can help to enhance the result and protect your teeth from new stains.

Sensitive teeth after bleaching: What to do?

In the first few days after tooth whitening, there may be temporary sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks. This is completely normal and should subside within a few days. If tooth sensitivity persists, you can use a toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth. Gentle oral hygiene also helps to calm your teeth and return them to normal.

However, with ALPINE WHITE, you don’t have to worry – our bleaching is completely peroxide-free and particularly gentle on your teeth. This means you should not expect any sensitivity. If you do experience sensitive teeth, you can rely on our specially developed toothpaste for sensitive teeth to optimally protect your teeth. This way, your smile remains not only white but also healthy and comfortable.

Tooth discolouration: How can you avoid it in the long term?

To preserve the bleaching result for as long as possible, you should try to reduce tooth discolouration caused by staining foods and drinks. In particular, coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco are common causes of yellowish or brownish tooth discolouration. By maintaining good oral hygiene and having regular professional tooth cleanings at the ALPINE WHITE studio, you can significantly reduce the risk of tooth discolourations.

Tooth whitening and dental prosthetics: What you should pay attention to

If you have dental prosthetics like fillings, veneers, or crowns, it's important to know that these materials don’t react to bleaching as your natural teeth do. This means that while the bleaching gel will lighten your natural dental tissue, particularly the dentine, it won’t affect already placed dental prosthetics. So, if a colour difference between your natural teeth and the prosthetics occurs after bleaching, it may be necessary to adjust the prosthetics to achieve a uniform result.

In Switzerland, this is often decided after professional consultation by a dentist or a dental hygienist. A professional bleaching can ensure that your dental substance is preserved and that there is no occurrence of tooth pain. By maintaining good oral hygiene, like regular teeth brushing, you can also retain the colour of your teeth longer and enhance the bleaching effect.

Final Word

Preparing for tooth whitening requires good oral hygiene and thorough dental care. With the right measures before, during, and after the treatment, you can ensure your teeth remain bright and healthy for a long time. Whether you decide on in-office bleaching or home bleaching, with the right preparation, you will achieve a radiant smile and healthy teeth.