Opalescence Whitening
Contents
What is Opalescence Whitening?
Opalescence is a whitening system developed by Ultradent, an American manufacturer of dental materials. It can be used for both home and office whitening and is used by many people around the world.
Features and benefits of Opalescence Whitening
Opal Essence has the following characteristics:
Safety and Effectiveness: Opalescence whitening gel uses hydrogen peroxide as its main ingredient, which breaks down the pigments adhering to the tooth surface. Opalescence whitening gel is designed with safety and effectiveness in mind and can restore natural whiteness without compromising dental health.
Comprehensive lineup: Opalescence has a line of products for both home and in-office whitening. For home whitening, products are available in various gel concentrations and durations to suit your needs. For office whitening, products with different gel concentrations and exposure times are available for those who want effective whitening in a shorter time.
Easy to use: With Opalescence home whitening, you simply inject the gel into the special tray and wear it. No difficult surgery is required, and whitening can be easily done at home.
You can do it at home! Opalescence Home Whitening
Opalescence home whitening is performed according to the following procedure:
Examination and pre-treatment
Teeth whitening is performed when there are no oral problems. First, we carefully examine the oral cavity before treatment, checking for cavities and periodontal disease and removing tartar. Of course, all oral problems can be solved in our clinic and we will take care of all the pre-treatments before the whitening.
Consultation
We will explain how to use Opalescence, dietary restrictions during whitening, tooth brushing, etc. Please feel free to come to us with any questions and concerns.
Mouthpiece creation
We take the patient’s tooth shape and make a mouthpiece for home whitening. It takes about one week for the mouthpiece to be completed.
Education on home whitening method
After the mouthpiece is completed, the patient will return to the clinic for a detailed explanation on how to use Opalescence at home and how to take care of the mouthpiece.
Whitening treatments at home
The whitening treatment is done at home using the mouthpiece and the medication you took home with you. The mouthpiece with the applied medicine must be worn for 8 to 10 hours to show good results. The treatment lasts for about 2 weeks.
Check-up at the clinic
After one month you will visit the clinic to check the condition of your teeth and mouthpiece.
Home whitening is recommended for:
・People who want to improve the whiteness of their teeth easily
・People who have difficulties coming to the clinic regularly
・People who want to keep the costs of the whitening as low as possible
Leave it to the clinic! Opalescence’s In-Office Whitening
Opalescence’s in-office whitening is performed according to the following procedure:
Examination and pre-treatment
Whitening is performed when mouth is free of problems, such as untreated cavities. First, we carefully examine the oral cavity before the procedure, checking for cavities and periodontal disease, and removing tartar. Of course, all oral problems can be resolved at our clinic, and we will take care of all the pre-whitening treatments.
Counseling
We will explain how to use Opalescence, dietary restrictions during whitening, tooth brushing, etc. Please feel free to come to us with any questions and concerns.
Treatment
Opalescence is applied to the teeth for whitening. The application time is about 20 to 30 minutes.
Tooth color check
The color of the teeth is checked. Prior to the whitening process, a “shade guide” (tooth color sample) is provided for consultation to determine the desired level of whiteness, and a comparison of the “desired tooth color” and the “current tooth color” is made. If you wish to whiten your teeth further, you will be asked to return to the clinic for another whitening treatment.
Office whitening is recommended for:
・People who want effective whitening in a short period of time
・People with severely discolored teeth
Whitening precautions
Brushing your teeth
You can brush your teeth as usual after whitening. However, we recommend using a non-abrasive toothpaste because the surface of the teeth is rough immediately after the treatment. Please do not hesitate to consult us about the proper way to brush your teeth after whitening (e.g. choice of toothpaste).
Eating and drinking
You can eat as usual after teeth whitening. However, please be careful not to consume the following foods and beverages immediately after the whitening treatment.
Within 24 hours: (food and drinks that is acidic) 100% fruit juice, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, beer, wine, canned chu-hai, Japanese sake, whiskey, citrus fruits, prunes, yogurt, dressings, etc.
Within 48 hours: (food and drinks that easily stain the teeth) coffee, tea, curry, meat sauce, cigarettes, etc.
Duration of whiteness
Even whitened teeth cannot avoid stains (stains on the surface of teeth caused by tannin, tobacco smoke and other substances contained in food and beverages) and tartar deposits in daily life. Therefore, whitening is not permanent. The same is true for whitening other than Opalescence.
The duration of whitening varies from person to person, but in order to maintain the whiteness for a long period of time, it is recommended to avoid eating foods and drinks that stain teeth easily and to brush teeth with a high maintenance toothpaste (whitening toothpaste is available).
Additional whitening is required to maintain the whiteness. The guidelines are as follows
In-office whitening: after 3-6 months (tends to last less than home whitening)
Home whitening: Once a year
The bottom line
Opalescence is a whitening system that is safe and effective, offers a wide variety of products and is easy to use. Both home and in-office whitening are available, and you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
If you are considering whitening with Opalescence, please consult your dentist.
The Toranomon Hills Dental Medical Ryu Clinic offers free consultations for a variety of dental problems.
You can be sure that we will always make suggestions that are appropriate for your situation and that we will always work with you to determine the best treatment plan.
Please do not give up and consult with us first.
