22 Sep Teeth Whitening Techniques
What Is the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth?
To look your very best, you’ll want to first take care of the underlying health of your teeth and gums. Once you’ve accomplished that, it’s time to add some sparkle to your teeth and smile with a teeth whitening treatment!
Over-the-counter Products
There are quite a few over-the-counter teeth whitening products available, including:
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- Whitening toothpaste
- Whitening strips
- Whitening trays and gels
Although at-home teeth whitening treatments are less expensive, you normally get what you pay for. These products are simply not strong enough for the average individual to achieve the results that they are looking for.
Professional Teeth Whitening
Unless you have extremely minor staining and discoloration, you are normally better off going with a professional teeth whitening treatment. Our products are more effective because they contain a higher concentration of active whitening ingredients.
Another advantage of having your teeth professionally whitened is that you will be under the direct supervision of your dental team. We can help to prevent unnecessary contact between the whitening gel and your sensitive gum tissues to help prevent post-treatment teeth sensitivity.
How It Works
Teeth whitening solutions contain some form of peroxide that oxidizes stains and discoloration. In some cases, discoloration is too severe for a bleaching procedure. In such a case, we may recommend that you receive dental veneers. These are thin shells that are placed over teeth to conceal stains and discoloration. The most popular material used with veneers is porcelain, which provides a close match to the color of natural teeth and their translucence.
We normally recommend that patients undergo whitening prior to any other dental procedures. Most dental restorations involve the use of materials that are resistant to stains and bleaching. For example, crowns will not bleach or stain and should maintain their original color over time.
Teeth Whitening Options
You can choose to have your teeth whitened during a dental appointment, or have special custom-fitted trays made for you to use at home.
Getting whitening trays allows you to be in control of how white you want your teeth and smile to become. To begin, we will make an impression of your teeth that will be used to create your customized teeth whitening trays. These trays will fit snugly around your teeth, ensuring that none of the whitening solution leaks into your mouth.
Once your customized whitening trays have been received from the dental lab, you can use them at any time. You’ll be provided with a whitening solution to be used along with your trays. You will need to wear them for a specified amount of time each night for one week or more. Once you have achieved the level of whitening that you desire, you can stop wearing your trays and enjoy your beautiful white smile!