During the summer months, we seem to get more questions about teeth whitening or bleaching, so we thought we would use this newsletter to answer some of the most common whitening questions.
The active ingredient is either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide and not "bleach." Our teeth have microscopic pores that get clogged from things like smoking, drinking wine and coffee or eating foods with dark pigments. These pores are so small that even brushing your teeth with whitening toothpastes don't help remove the stain. The peroxide is able to seep into these dentinal tubules or pores and oxidize or dissolve the stains at the microscopic level. With the stains removed, your teeth become whiter and your smile looks younger.
We offer two types of teeth whitening procedures. The first consists of a one hour in-office treatment called Boost. It is similar to very popular treatments like Zoom! Boost is a 40% hydrogen peroxide gel that we activate and apply to your teeth. The process of applying the gel is repeated as necessary and usually requires between 2-4 applications during the one your visit.
We also offer a take home version of our whitening treatment. We fabricate custom trays for your teeth and you wear these trays with the bleaching gel for anywhere between 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the concentration of bleach we give you. The 35% carbamide peroxide you wear for 30 minutes, the 20% carbamide peroxide you wear for up to 4 hours.
No, there is no pain while bleaching your teeth. However, one of the side affects of teeth whitening can be temporary tooth sensitivity, especially to cold temperatures. If this does occur, we can give you some products to help decrease the sensitivity.
Almost everyone is a good candidate. Unfortunately, one of the negatives with teeth whitening is that the whitening gel can only whiten your natural tooth structure. So if you have any crowns, veneers or any other dental restorations on your front teeth, those restorations will not whiten.
After completing a whitening treatment, you can expect your teeth to lighten an average of 2-3 shades.
It all comes down to the strength of the gel. Typical over-the-counter whitening gels range between 7-14%. Because we make trays specifically designed to your teeth, we dispense teeth bleaching gel up to 35%. This will allow you to obtain a whiter smile in a shorter amount of time.
- How does teeth whitening work?
The active ingredient is either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide and not "bleach." Our teeth have microscopic pores that get clogged from things like smoking, drinking wine and coffee or eating foods with dark pigments. These pores are so small that even brushing your teeth with whitening toothpastes don't help remove the stain. The peroxide is able to seep into these dentinal tubules or pores and oxidize or dissolve the stains at the microscopic level. With the stains removed, your teeth become whiter and your smile looks younger.
- Are there different ways to whiten your smile?
We offer two types of teeth whitening procedures. The first consists of a one hour in-office treatment called Boost. It is similar to very popular treatments like Zoom! Boost is a 40% hydrogen peroxide gel that we activate and apply to your teeth. The process of applying the gel is repeated as necessary and usually requires between 2-4 applications during the one your visit.
We also offer a take home version of our whitening treatment. We fabricate custom trays for your teeth and you wear these trays with the bleaching gel for anywhere between 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the concentration of bleach we give you. The 35% carbamide peroxide you wear for 30 minutes, the 20% carbamide peroxide you wear for up to 4 hours.
- Does whitening your teeth hurt?
No, there is no pain while bleaching your teeth. However, one of the side affects of teeth whitening can be temporary tooth sensitivity, especially to cold temperatures. If this does occur, we can give you some products to help decrease the sensitivity.
- Am I a good candidate for teeth whitening?
Almost everyone is a good candidate. Unfortunately, one of the negatives with teeth whitening is that the whitening gel can only whiten your natural tooth structure. So if you have any crowns, veneers or any other dental restorations on your front teeth, those restorations will not whiten.
- What results can I expect?
After completing a whitening treatment, you can expect your teeth to lighten an average of 2-3 shades.
- What is the difference between over the counter whitening treatments like Crest Whitestrips and professional whitening treatments?
It all comes down to the strength of the gel. Typical over-the-counter whitening gels range between 7-14%. Because we make trays specifically designed to your teeth, we dispense teeth bleaching gel up to 35%. This will allow you to obtain a whiter smile in a shorter amount of time.