Teeth Whitening for New Pearly Whites
Teeth whitening can provide a dramatic difference in a short amount of time.
In-Office Bleaching usually requires only one office visit. A protective gel or a rubber shield is placed over the gums to protect the soft tissue. A bleaching agent containing carbamide peroxide is applied to the teeth, and a specialized light is then used to enhance the action of the whitening agent. This is the fastest way to achieve results.
At-Home bleaching requires an impression of the teeth to be taken to make a customized mouth guard to hold the whitening gel, containing carbide peroxide, against the teeth. Once the mouth guard is made, it is worn for a period of time, as instructed by our office. The amount of time may vary from a couple hours a day, or all night, to up to four weeks or longer, if desired.
A beautiful smile leads to a brighter and healthier lifestyle. Having significantly brighter teeth can boost one’s self-confidence and improve a person’s outer appearance. Being able to communicate and laugh without feeling self-conscious greatly improves an individual’s personality. Constant practice of proper oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing your teeth can help you gain whiter teeth. However, it is still inevitable for the teeth to be discolored and may need some professional help from a dentist. Undergoing teeth whitening is a solution to stained teeth and can brighten them more effectively.
Unfortunately for some, smiling is a source of embarrassment because of the way their teeth look. And luckily for some, the treatment for that is simple – it’s just a matter of making their teeth a little whiter and brighter. If this is you, there’s hope for getting rid of temporary unsightly stains from the dental professionals at Rolling Hills Dental.
What is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth staining can be caused by several reasons, either by accident or naturally occurring problems. Teeth can turn pale, become stained, or discolored. If you or someone you love is trying to make their teeth a brighter shade of white again, we are happy to tell you about our teeth whitening options and what type of results you can expect.
What are the teeth whitening options available at Rolling Hills Dental?
- Professional In-Home Whitening System – The most convenient and affordable option for our patients is our in-home whitening system. After a thorough cleaning with one of our friendly hygienists, your dentist will fit you with custom-made trays. These will fit snugly and comfortably over your teeth. When you are home, you’ll fill them with the accompanying professional-strength whitening gel. Depending on your situation, this is done for anywhere between half-an-hour to several hours every day. Many of our patients wear them overnight. Our whitening trays are molded to fit your mouth perfectly, so that the whitening solution will fill in the area around and between each tooth. Our gels are professional strength (unlike over-the-counter-gels) so you will be able to whiten rather quickly, seeing results in two-to-three applications. Plus, our custom fit trays will ensure your teeth and jaws function properly while wearing them. Something we caution our patients about if they are considering wearing the over-the-counter whitening trays found at the drugstore.
- In-Office Whitening – In-office whitening provide patients with excellent results. We will use specific lasers that increases the strength of the peroxide in the gel. This process by can bring out eight different shades of color in an one one-hour whitening session. The LED device will activate the gel, spreading the oxygen within the peroxide and thoroughly penetrating the tooth surface. In certain situations, in-office and take-home methods may be combined for better and long-lasting results.
Cost of Teeth Whitening
Over the counter treatments are typically around $50. In office treatment by a dentist will be more expensive than an over the counter option, but the results will be supervised, safe. longer lasting and effective.
Getting a Teeth Whitening With Dentures, Crowns, Braces & During Pregnancy
- With Dentures and Crowns – It is suggested you whiten your teeth before you get dentures or crowns . It’s still safe to get the procedure while you have implants.
- With Braces – It is better to get a whitening treatment before getting braces. Different methods have different effects on braces: Toothpastes and Invisalign® clear aligners do not present any problems. Home-whitening trays made by one of our dentists will comfortably fit over your braces. DIY chemical (from the drugstore) can be applied over braces, but may leave dark patches.
- With Pregnancy – Most whitening processes use hydrogen peroxide, which may be inhaled. No formal study of the possible effects is available. Hence, you are advised not to undergo this procedure while pregnant or nursing.
Aftercare
You may be wondering how you take care of whiter, brighter teeth after you complete the teeth whitening process. Here’s what you need to know.
- Tobacco – Tobacco will stain your teeth in any form.
- Lipstick – Only use lipstick that doesn’t have properties that will color any tooth.
- What to eat? For a few days after you go through the procedure, your enamel pores are open and the enamel can be stained easier. Avoid any kind of food or drink that may stain your teeth, which can include chocolate, coffee, tea, Coca Cola, alcohol, and spicy food. You can return to your typical diet after just a few days.
- Oral Hygiene – Take care to learn what stained your teeth in the first place and adjust accordingly.
Why go to the dentist’s office to whiten teeth when you can buy something at the drugstore?
It’s difficult to resist trying the whitening products we see on television or read about in magazines. Although these over-the-counter methods are much cheaper, they are not nearly as effective in whitening discolored teeth. Some of these drugstore treatments include:
- Pre-made Whitening Trays: Teeth-whitening kits contain carbamide peroxide and are available off the shelf. The material is put into trays, and the tray is applied directly to the teeth. These average one-size-fit-all trays may not feel completely right, and the chemical material may leak and damage other parts of mouth – particularly the gums. Ill fitting trays can lead to jaw pain and headaches.
- Toothpastes: Toothpastes use no additional bleaching agents – such as hydrogen peroxide. They do use a mild abrasive to clean the surface of the enamel.
- Gels: The strength of the specific gel is dependent on how often you have to use them and their individual strength.
- Strips: Strips are thin plastic strips coated with a light carbamide peroxide. You stick these onto the teeth that need to be cleaned. The results do not last long, are inconsistent (as the strips can’t whiten in-between teeth).
- Rinses: Special mouth washes are used just like the average antibacterial mouthwash. These contain small quantities of peroxide. Since the peroxide has almost no time to take effect, rinses are not as effective as other methods.
Thinking About Getting a Teeth-Whitening?
If you are thinking about whitening your teeth, we invite you to make an appointment and let us determine what whitening process is right for you. Our dentists, Jeff Goodman, Jerry Bottomley, Norton Donner or Kevin Lin will be happy to discuss these options with you. Rolling Hills Dental is located near the South Bay next to the cities of Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Torrance, Redondo Beach and more. Have more questions? Check out Zoom!™ In-Office Whitening and Take-Home whitening.