Professional Teeth Whitening
While you have a broad choice of products to try and whiten your smile, only professional teeth whitening can effectively erase stains without harming your teeth. Depending on your scheduling needs, we may suggest an in-office procedure to brighten your smile in just over an hour, or a take home kit that you can apply on your own time. With both systems, you can expect to brighten your smile up to 10 shades or more by the time you’ve completed the cosmetic treatment!
In-Office or At-Home?
In-office teeth whitening can be completed during a single visit, usually within just over an hour. It is often recommended for patients who have an upcoming social/business engagement and wish to look their best in a short amount of time. During your appointment, your dentist will apply the bleaching agent to your teeth, then stimulate the gel with a specialized light.
Take-home teeth whitening consists of custom-designed trays and a supply of professional bleaching agent that you take home. The trays allow you to evenly apply the gel to your teeth while simultaneously protecting the bleaching gel from saliva (which could dilute the solution). Take-home teeth whitening usually takes between 10-14 days to produce optimal results.
When to Consider Teeth Whitening
The kind of teeth whitening system you choose may depend largely on how quickly you wish to brighten your smile. However, teeth whitening treatment is not always preferable or effective, particularly when your teeth’s discoloration originates from within your tooth structure.
For most patients, teeth whitening is the best option when your teeth are otherwise clean and healthy (i.e., free of tooth decay), and the stains appear on the outer layer of enamel. For more difficult cases, you may benefit more from cosmetic dental bonding or one or more porcelain veneers.
