Teeth Whitening
As Spring slowly arrives, our soon to be sun-drenched faces will begin to lighten. Unfortunately, our teeth don’t. In fact, over time our teeth seem to just get darker and darker. Coffee, tea, tobacco, wine, cola, and the natural effects of aging on teeth all combine to gradually darken our smiles.
How does teeth whitening (bleaching) work?
To understand how teeth whitening works, one has to understand how teeth become discolored. There are two types of discoloration: extrinsic and intrinsic. Your normal teeth brushing with whitening toothpaste will help remove the daily extrinsic stains (think surface staining) left from coffee, tea and red wine. Intrinsic (inside the enamel) staining is caused by years of exposure to these staining substances and is harder to change. Teeth whitening will unfortunately not work on any teeth with dental bonding or crowns, make sure to check with us before moving forward. (If you have crowns, bonding, bridgework, etc., cosmetic dentistry may be a better option for you.)
First we take an impression of your teeth, then in only a day or two your custom bleach trays will be ready for you to pick up. We provide you with a special bleaching agent that you put into the clear trays. With only a few hours of wear per day, our special bleaching agent bubbles stains right out of your enamel in a very short time without altering tooth structure or existing dental work in any way. When your teeth reach the desired brightness, only occasional treatment is needed to maintain your new smile.
So how do teeth whitening agents get the stains out from “inside” your tooth? Most whitening gels contain an oxidizing agent in the form of carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. These ingredients are the active ingredient in most whitening agents. The gel reacts with the internal aspect of your tooth, mixes with the discolored areas, and breaks them apart making them appear whiter!
When to whiten?
If you are having dental work done to your front teeth, you would typically bleach first, then once you reach your desired shade, wait one week to allow them to stabilize before having dental work done. Have a wedding coming up? Whiten at least one month before the big day!
What are my teeth whitening options?
Make sure you talk with your dental professional to see what’s best for you, but here are your teeth whitening options:
Professional take home trays – Pros: Works for long term results, accurate to your teeth, decreased sensitivity, convenient. Cons: more expensive than over the counter
White Strips – Pros: Cheap, can whiten a few shades. Cons: misses areas between and around teeth, gets on gums, not as effective as professional take home trays and tends to cause sensitivity more frequently.
In office bleaching – Pros: Quick results Cons: Not as effective long term, sensitivity issues, lights and lasers not that effective for “whiter teeth,” expensive.
My teeth are sensitive when I bleach!
If your teeth are sensitive during bleaching there may be an underlying cause, so as always, talk with your dental professional. If you have traditionally had sensitive teeth, use a desensitizing toothpaste containing potassium nitrate (Sensodyne, Crest Sensi relief, etc.) for at least one month before whitening. Also tell us if you are having sensitivity, as we may be able to lower the percentage concentration of the whitening product. If you want whiter teeth, know that you have many options. There is no one best option for all, so give us a call and find out which product will work best for you. (937) 644-1115