Teeth whitening lightens the shade of your teeth through a chemical process that bleaches away intrinsic and extrinsic stains with the use of carbamide or hydrogen peroxide. Volatile oxygen molecules in the peroxide react with discolored molecules to break down staining compounds.
This is a process known as oxidation. However, before this can occur, the peroxide needs to gain access to the deeper layers of your teeth. Through demineralization, your tooth is more porous and the whitening agent can reach the underlying layers of the tooth, beneath the enamel.
This is how teeth whitening treatments don’t just remove surface stains, but also stains trapped on the inside of teeth, in the dentin layer. By removing these staining molecules, your teeth reflect more light and appear brighter. Contact us at Colonial Drive Preventative & Comprehensive Dentistrytoday to schedule a consultation with Dr. Dorsey.
The take-home whitening process begins with a consultation with Dr. Dorsey at our office. He will need to determine if you’re a good candidate for teeth whitening based on your oral health, the severity of discoloration, and the condition of your enamel.
After performing an oral exam, possibly taking x-rays, and having an open discussion, Dr. Dorsey will provide you with a recommendation to address your cosmetic goals.
Once we have approved you for take-home teeth whitening, you will need to come in for a quick appointment where we will take impressions of your teeth and send them to an outside dental lab that will fabricate your tailor-made whitening trays. By creating custom trays that fit perfectly over your teeth, you don’t run the risk of whitening gel coming into contact with your soft tissues.
Once your trays are ready at our office, you can come to pick them up along with the whitening product and written instructions. Dr. Dorsey will explain how to use them and how long you will be expected to wear them.
Once you get home, you can begin your treatment as soon as possible and get on with your day. After applying the gel to the inside of your trays, you can place them over your teeth and leave them on for the duration recommended in the instructions.
Be sure to carefully follow the instructions and don’t wear your aligners for too long or apply too much whitening gel. You will need to wear your whitening trays each day for up to 2 weeks to achieve the best results. Once you’ve whitened your teeth, you will want to avoid staining foods and drinks, and tobacco products to preserve the results.
Teeth whitening improves your overall appearance in many ways. Not only does it banish unsightly stains and discoloration, but it brings out other complementary features in your face and makes you look younger. This will leave you with a bright and beautiful smile for formal photos and special events.
We can all get insecure sometimes and it doesn’t help when we have something to be insecure about. Tooth discoloration is a sign that we haven’t been properly looking after our teeth or preventing stains from accumulating, which can cause us to feel bad about our appearance and want to avoid social gatherings.
Feeling bad about our smile can cause a ripple effect in other areas of our lives. By improving the shade of your teeth, we also improve your sense of well-being. When you feel confident in yourself, you'll put yourself out there more and take advantage of more opportunities.
Teeth whitening is by far the most popular cosmetic dental treatment and there’s no secret as to why. It’s affordable, non-invasive, doesn’t require anesthetic, and quickly transforms our teeth.
Yes, teeth whitening can cause temporary sensitivity. However, this side effect is more common with in-office whitening than take-home whitening because of the higher concentration of peroxide. If you have sensitive teeth, we recommend trying take-home whitening. You can also apply a desensitizing gel to your teeth before the treatment and brush your teeth with toothpaste for sensitive teeth. The sensitivity should not be severe and should respond to anti-inflammatory pain medication. You may want to avoid hot and cold foods for a few days until your enamel remineralizes and the sensitivity goes away.
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