Over the years, Dental Bleaching has become one of the renowned aesthetic dental treatment. Initially, dentists preferred in-office bleaching of teeth which were discolored due to trauma of an endodontic treatment. However, later home-applied tray bleaching and similar products came into the market therefore making this technique more flexible in terms of its application both in the dental office or at home.
In-Office Tooth Whitening: In this procedure, a bleaching gel is applied by isolating the teeth from lips and gums. In order to accelerate the bleaching process, the dentists uses a special curing light along with the gel.
At-Home Tooth Whitening: In this process, the dentist will design a fully customized teeth whitening tray for your mouth. Once the trays are designed, you will be provided with the instructions of applying the bleaching agent at home.
Listed below are the commonly used ADA codes for Dental Bleaching:
D9972: This is for external bleaching (over the surface of the tooth) per arch and is performed in the dental office under the supervision of your dentist to ensure accurate results.
D9973: This code is used for external bleaching per tooth. This process takes about an hour. You will be seated in a chair and the bleaching compound will be placed directly on your teeth. A high intensity light is used for approx 30 minutes to strengthen the bleaching.
D9974: This code is used for internal bleaching (inside the tooth) per tooth. The procedure requires a minimum of a single visit at the office to deliver a smile that is youthful and healthy.
D9975: External bleaching for home application, per arch. Includes materials and fabrication of custom trays.
