The desire to improve personal appearance by whitening the teeth is not a new fad, and was practiced by ancient civilizations. The Romans used urine to whiten their teeth, but thankfully, this is one old remedy that appears to have disappeared with them. Modern teeth bleaching methods are much cleaner and more sophisticated, and can be purchased in home whitening kits or as a procedure performed by a dentist. There is a wide variety of methods available, all producing varying results depending on the amount and type of staining and the general condition of the tooth enamel.

For this reason, some people are disappointed with the results, especially from the do-it-yourself kits. Doing this procedure at home should be approached with caution, as the cleaning material can damage unhealthy gums, and unfortunately, many people don’t know the condition of their gums. This assessment can only be made by a dentist Bundaberg.

Teeth become discolored over time from a number of causes, the most common being staining from smoking and by ingesting some foodstuffs, but most particularly, tea, coffee and red wine. This type of discoloration is usually not seen in young people as it takes some years to become obvious. As people age, the mineral structure of their teeth becomes darker, and this, in combination with the staining already mentioned, makes them prime candidates for teeth bleaching, subject to certain conditions.

There are a range of products and methods available for teeth bleaching, some for home use and others used by dental professionals. In-office whitening is done by a dentist who applies a whitening gel directly onto the teeth, covering lips and gums to avoid irritation. The dentist may accelerate the whitening by using a light directly onto the teeth. This process is relatively quick and is performed in 3 to 4 sessions, each lasting about 15 minutes.

Bleaching trays are an alternative product that can only be purchased through a dentist. These custom made trays are created from an impression of the patient’s teeth made by the dentist. The tray containing the professional whitening gel fits over the teeth to protect the gums, and the gel is dispensed through pre-filled syringes. The teeth whiten over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, still under the direction of a dentist.

Other methods available are paint-on teeth whiteners, whitening strips, and toothpastes and mouthwashes. The paint-on whiteners are best used as a maintenance product, and the strips are not effective as they are unsuitable for crooked teeth. Toothpastes and mouthwashes don’t bleach teeth but simply remove light stains and are not serious tooth whitening Bundaberg options.

While it is tempting to reduce the cost of teeth bleaching by using methods that don’t require the supervision of a dental professional, this can be fraught with danger. Not everyone has teeth that are suitable for whitening and bleaching, and without a professional opinion first, the procedure could cause serious damage.

The dental visits most people make during their lifetime are for simple maintenance like cleaning or having cavities filled. With the increased popularity and availability of cosmetic dentistry, other visits will include teeth whitening, crowns and bridges and of course, orthodontics. However, there are occasions where more extensive dental work is needed which possibly may require dental surgery. Some of this surgery may be able to be performed in the dental chair, but for other procedures, hospitalisation may be necessary, along with a general anaesthetic. To perform this type of dental surgery requires specialised qualifications and experience, so this work is typically not performed by a general dentist.

One of the most common procedures that may require extensive dental surgery is the removal of wisdom teeth. If the extraction is a routine one, most dentists Bundaberg would confidently perform this procedure. If the extraction is more complicated, for example, if the wisdom teeth are impacted i.e. have not erupted fully through the gum into their expected alignment, the patient may elect to be hospitalised.

Dental implants are another procedure that may require more than a typical visit to a general dentist, especially if there is more than one, or in extreme cases, a full arch. This specialist surgery inserts a metal cylinder into the jawbone to replace the root from the missing tooth. A connector, usually a screw, is then attached to the implant and finally the tooth is attached to the connector. The choice of having a general anaesthetic is always the right of the patient, but for extensive dental surgery, it is often a much more comfortable option.


This is especially true in cases where the patient may require bone augmentation to support the implant. This is usually performed either before or during the dental implant surgery. Bone augmentation is the process of placing filler bone in a space to encourage the patient’s own natural bone to grow around it. Once a tooth is removed from the jaw, the tooth root is no longer there to support the bone, which begins to recede from the jaw almost immediately. This loss continues over time, but can be stopped by the placement of dental implants.

In most patients who have orthodontic treatments to straighten and correctly align teeth, there is little in the way of major surgery required to support the procedure long-term. However, sometimes, the bite function is still causing the patient problems or their facial profile needs adjusting. Jaw surgery is one of the methods used to correct these issues, and this type of dental surgery Bundaberg would normally be performed by specialists in a hospital and under general anaesthetic.

While some patients may elect to have much of this surgery performed under a local anaesthetic in the dental chair, the more extensive surgery should be undertaken with all the infection control precautions that hospitalisation offers. This is specialist surgery performed by highly trained surgeons and it seems only common sense that patients would take advantage of these skills.