Whitening

Everyone’s teeth will naturally darken over time. Changes in the color of your teeth can also be caused by the food and beverages consumed (like coffee, tea and soda). Other known factors for discoloration may include childhood medications or illnesses, tobacco use or improper oral hygiene. Restoring your natural white smile is a priority for our dental team. We can provide a variety of options for whitening your smile.

Tooth whitening services are growing in popularity, and everyone sees the growing consumer market focused on whiter teeth. Here are the answers to the questions we are most frequently asked about tooth whitening.

Q: What is the difference between Over-the-Counter tooth whitening trays or strips and the professional whitening done by the dental office?

A: There are three basic methods available for whitening teeth: Professional In-Office Whitening, Professional At-Home Whitening, and Over-the-Counter trays and strips.

Professional In-Office Whitening is done over one or more appointments each lasting about an hour. For Professional At-Home Whitening, we make an impression of your teeth and create a custom fitted whitening tray that perfectly fits your teeth. Each day you place a small amount of whitening gel in your trays and wear them overnight or for a few hours during the day. When done daily, this process typically takes between one and two weeks.

Over-the-Counter daily whitening products that you buy at the store rely on a strip or a generic size tray to carry the gels that whiten the teeth.

So what is the “bottom line”?

In-Office Professional Whitening is very effective. In some cases, however, it still needs to be followed up by Professional At-Home Whitening to achieve the desired final result. Most people elect to do the Professional At-Home whitening alone. In-Office Whitening can still be the treatment of choice for those people who can’t wear trays, or want the convenience of having their whitening done in just one or more office visits.

The difference between Professional At-Home Whitening and Over-the-Counter trays and strips is the concentration of the whitening agent and the method of delivery to the teeth. Our custom fabricated whitening trays keep the whitening gel just on the teeth. The trays also keep the gel from being diluted by saliva. Because Over-the-Counter Whitening uses generic trays and strips, the gel they use gets not just on the teeth, but all over the gum tissue. By necessity then, they must use a whitening gel that is weak enough not to irritate the gum tissue. In addition, due to the loose fit, the gel tends to be diluted by saliva. With the custom fabricated whitening trays used in our Professional At-Home Whitening we are able to use a higher concentration in a professional whitening gel. This results in a whitening process that is much more effective and much more efficient. While many people are eventually able to achieve an acceptable result with Over-the-Counter products, quite a few people who have tried them have been less than pleased.

It is important to note that any Over-the-Counter whitening product should be used only under the supervision of a dentist. The ADA recommends that you seek the professional advice of a dentist, including an examination to diagnose the cause of tooth discoloration, before you begin any bleaching program. Unfortunately some people have tried to whiten darkened teeth when the cause of the discoloration was from decay not visible from the front of the teeth.

Q: Does Whitening last? How do I keep my nice, white smile?

A: You can keep your new white smile for a lifetime. Most people will “Touch Up” the whiteness of their teeth once every six months to two years. One of the advantages to the Professional At-Home Whitening is that the custom fabricated trays last a number of years and can be used over and over when touching up. Typically, touching up requires only one or two nights use. Our Professional Touch Up Kits have enough syringes of gel to use for two applications of an upper and lower tray. They are priced very similar to what one would pay for an Over-the-Counter kit.