Nature? Or did dentist help restore dazzle to that smile?

If you meet someone with a lovely white, bright smile, they may just be naturally lucky and have great teeth … or they may have had a little help.

Increasing numbers of people are trying a technique called passive tooth bleaching that dentists are promoting as a simple, effective, safe and affordable way to brighten up your smile.

Most people start off with beautifully white teeth, but, as they grow older, two major factors contribute to staining and yellowing: aging itself and our diet or lifestyle.

Perhaps as early as the teens and certainly in the 20s, drinks like tea, coffee, colas and red wine will have started to stain teeth; smoking or chewing tobacco also can be a major cause of discoloration.

Dentists have used various techniques to bleach teeth for more than 100 years, but until a decade ago most methods suffered through a combination of uneven results, patient discomfort and high cost.

However, in 1989, a new system of passive tooth bleaching was introduced using a solution of 10 percent carbamide peroxide. Patients apply the bleaching agent themselves at home, but the program is monitored by their dentist.

Boulder dentist Gary Fresques says tooth bleaching techniques have been improved still further in the last two to three years, and he now treats an average of 10 such patients a month at the Arapahoe Dental Clinic.

“I see people of all ages, from teenagers through to those in their 60s, who basically all want the same thing — a brighter, whiter smile. The whole thing is purely cosmetic and really comes down to vanity. People just want to look better,” says Fresques, who reckons he treats roughly equal numbers of males and females.

The first step is to cast a stone model of the patient’s teeth from which plastic, foam-lined trays are made. These hold the bleaching gel and fit snugly over the top and bottom teeth like a mouthguard.

Most patients wear their trays for several hours at a time, often while they sleep, allowing the gel to oxidize the surface enamel of the teeth, turning stained areas white again. Fresques also offers a 45-minute “power bleaching” session at the clinic to “jump start” the process.

From then on he likes to see his patients about every four days. If necessary, the strength of the gel can be varied, and toward the end of the treatment he can advise when teeth have reached their maximum whiteness.

Fresques charges $325 for the total procedure (with an extra $50 for the power bleaching) — none of which is covered by insurance. Even so, the process costs much less than more traditional options such as bonding, where teeth are covered with a layer of white resin, or the application of porcelain veneers and crowns.

Richard Roberts, a San Diego dentist, has written a handbook for his fellow practitioners on passive tooth bleaching, which he labels “the cosmetic revolution.”

“Most patients will notice some bleaching of the teeth in the first few days,” he says. “Some teeth will bleach two or three shades lighter in as little as two weeks, but others will take as much as six to eight weeks.”

Roberts sees the element of professional supervision by a dentist as vital and warns against over-the-counter bleaching products that he says may be too acidic and cause teeth serious damage.

He also reminds people that the things that stained teeth in the first place will continue doing so in future and suggests countering this by ongoing light bleaching every few months to maintain whiteness.

Roberts cautions against expecting “Hollywood white” teeth, something that requires expensive porcelain crowns or veneers. However, he says, the passive bleaching technique is “an incredibly effective way to give patients a more youthful smile.”

Dental Assistant Judi Williamson would go along with that: She looks after all the teeth bleaching clients for the Boulder Dental Group — and she’s also had her own teeth whitened.

Williamson says many of those over 50 who have the treatment do so because they want to look young again.

“It gives people a better smile and that often means greater self-confidence,” she says. “This is especially noticeable among people with heavily stained teeth who are often shy about smiling.”

Williamson had her own teeth done many years ago and keeps them white and bright with regular touch-ups, often trying out new products as they come on the market.

“If I hadn’t had it done already I definitely would now,” she says. “It’s great.”

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