Teeth Whitening Information

Teeth Whitening

If someone mentioned teeth whitening to you 12 years ago, you would probably think of an expensive toothpaste that claimed to be the magic cure. People are always looking for ways to make their smile whiter. With each decade we age, our teeth get up to 1 to 2 shades darker. Genetics, oral hygiene, and nutrition contribute to the shades of our teeth.

The standard for teeth whitening has increased over the past decades. What we called a light shade 15 years ago is considered yellow today. When whitening strips and professional whitening lights were introduced to the market a new industry was created. In the last 12 years, we’ve learned a lot about the pros and cons of teeth whitening and various whitening methods.

Over 100 million Americans have whitened their teeth using whitening toothpastes and whitening products. Dentists have begun in office professional whitening services, which provide better results than at home whitening products. Professional teeth whitening delivers optimum whitening results before you leave the office.

How is Professional In-Office Teeth Whitening Done?
1. Teeth are polished.
2. Your mouth is kept dry by isolating the area with gauze.
3. A barrier is placed along your gum line to protect it from the whitening solutions.
4. Teeth are coated with a whitening solution.
5. A curing light or laser add heat to the solution.
6. The solution is kept on the teeth for 30 to 60 minutes, or reapplied in specific increments of time for up to one hour.
7. The teeth are rinsed with water and a sensitivity solution may be applied.

In addition to the one hour office whitening, some dental offices provide professional take home whitening trays and gels. The difference between this in-office service & the gels you receive at the store, is simply that the dentist creates custom trays that fit directly on the mouth. These professional trays snap over your teeth & prevent the gel from moving onto the gums. The trays will feel less bulky and provide an overall greater amount of comfort. The gels provided by the in-office services are also stronger and more capable of providing results then the over the counter methods.

Other types of whitening include strips, paint-ons, and whitening devices. You can purchase any of these methods over-the-counter and in a store. Each type of whitening method has pros and cons and the costs vary. To learn more about teeth whitening, contact Van Haren Dentistry today.