We all know the best way to keep your teeth bright & white is to brush your teeth twice a day, floss at least once a day & see your dentist every six months for your regular cleaning appointments. Unfortunately, even those who follow this hygiene process may experience teeth that become yellow or stained. What you consume can play a major role in the color of your teeth. Coffee, tea, cola, red wine & tobacco smoke are a few well-known culprits behind teeth stains.

If you want your teeth to be “pearly whites” again, your best bet is to come see us for a teeth whitening. Our in-office whitening treatment is much more effective than any take-home whitening kit or store-bought whitening strips. Because we are authorized to use a more powerful form of peroxide, we can make your teeth several shades whiter in around an hour! Compared to most over-the-counter whitening kits—which take several weeks to deliver results—our system is the fastest way to whiter teeth. If you have a formal occasion around the corner & don’t have time to wait for a shinier smile, our in-office whitening is a great option.

The first step of a professional teeth whitening appointment is recording your pretreatment teeth color. This will help you see just how effective your whitening is. Next, the dentist needs to protect your lips, tongue & gums from the whitening agent. The concentrated whitening chemicals available to dentists are more likely to irritate or damage these body parts if they come into direct contact with them. For their protection, your gums will be covered with a rubber dam or a liquid that hardens & can be removed later. The dentist will also insert a cheek retractor, which spreads your lips apart in order to expose your teeth & distance them from your lips & cheeks.

Once the soft tissues of your mouth & face are protected, the peroxide whitening gel is applied to your teeth. We will do this in a few 15- to 30-minute cycles & check the progress between each application. The entire appointment lasts approximately an hour to an hour & a half. When the dentist is finished, they will note your post-treatment tooth color & determine how many shades it changed. If necessary, you will receive a set of take-home whitening trays to maintain the color of your new smile.

You may notice your teeth losing some of their whiteness a couple days after an in-office teeth whitening. This is a normal reaction. The color change happens as your teeth recover from dehydration during the whitening process.

For about a day after your appointment, your teeth will be more vulnerable to staining. You should avoid any staining foods or drinks such as coffee, tea, red wine or tomato products. Tobacco use should be discontinued entirely.

Not all patients are candidates for in-office teeth whitening. If you have been diagnosed with gum disease or have sensitive teeth, the stronger peroxides used in the dental office can aggravate your condition. You may be better off with a custom take-home whitening kit that is designed to avoid contact with your gums & has a lower concentration of peroxide.

Whitening is not effective for all people. Patients with crowns, veneers & bonded teeth cannot have those restorations whitened. Likewise, teeth stained brown or gray are much less likely to respond well to whitening than those with yellow teeth. In these cases, veneers or crowns can be a good alternative to whitening.

Call us today to see if a professional teeth whitening is right for you.