Whitening

Teeth Whitening & Bleaching

A brighter, whiter smile can often have a positive impact on one’s social life, not to mention provide a healthy boost of self-confidence! Whether you’re looking to create memories for a lifetime with a dazzling smile at your wedding, or to leave a lasting impression at a job interview or reunion, teeth whitening is a fast way to get dramatic results.

Teeth whitening procedures can deliver you a more confident younger appearance and help you make stronger first impressions. Teeth are porous and over the years the enamel develops micro-fractures, which leads to absorption of stains from food and liquids (such as coffee and wine), habits (smoking, teeth grinding), and medications (Tetracycline). There is also a genetic component to the color of your dentin that affects how white your teeth are or can become.

“Teeth Whitening” is used to describe the process of restoring teeth to their natural color by removing stains and debris from the tooth’s surface. We consider the use of whitening toothpastes too abrasives and do not recommend them.

“Teeth Bleaching” is the process that whitens teeth beyond their natural color with the use of different available gels. It is important for you to let us guide you to the best technique for your specific situation.

Whitening products contain active ingredients that break down the stains. The main side effect of bleaching is temporary tooth sensitivity to cold because the enamel pores are open during treatment. These micro-fractures and pores do re-mineralize over time. Special toothpastes can help reduce sensitivity by accelerating this re-mineralization process. Take home custom made dental bleaching trays administer optimal amounts of bleaching material over the specific teeth to be whitened. Trays are worn from 30 minutes, to a few hours or overnight for a few weeks, depending on each individual situation.

Over-the-counter whitening kits are not customized to your teeth; therefore in some instances render inconsistent results. You can expect your teeth to stay lighter for a long period of time, but will require regular dental hygiene maintenance appointments. Since you will already have the trays, you will eventually only need touch up whitening gel. One hour in-office whitening will jump start the process and with the addition of custom take home bleaching kits, the results will leave you with a bright white smile.