Teeth whitening treatments are among the most popular cosmetic dental services. These treatments are effective on most types of stains and can significantly improve the whiteness of your teeth. An in-office whitening session can improve teeth color by up to eight shades.
For patients thinking about whitening their teeth, here are the answers to a few of the questions that they might have.
The whitening products used for in-office whitening treatments are significantly more concentrated than the products sold over the counter (OTC). These powerful bleaching agents are meant to be used under the supervision of a dentist. A single whitening treatment can get better results than a couple of months of regularly using OTC teeth whiteners.
Teeth whitening products typically contain compounds like hydrogen carbamide and hydrogen peroxide as their active ingredients. The molecules of these compounds penetrate the inner layers of teeth, oxidizing stains and discoloration. A laser can be used to agitate these molecules and speed up the process.
The patient’s mouth is evaluated before clearing them for teeth whitening. Issues like tooth decay and gum disease are addressed if detected because they can lead to complications after whitening treatments, like permanent damage to teeth structures.
Teeth cleaning might be performed if the patient is due for the treatment and an impression of the patient’s mouth can be taken. The impression is used to create a custom mouth tray for the whitening treatment. It takes up to two weeks for the custom mouth tray to get back to the dentist from the lab wehere it is made.
The patient comes in for their whitening treatment once the mouth tray is ready. Their teeth are cleaned, and the whitening product is poured onto the tray. The patient bites down on it and keeps it in their mouth for up to 90 minutes. The dentist rinses the patient’s mouth, and a fluoride treatment might be performed to help reduce teeth sensitivity (the most common side effect of whitening treatments).
That comes down to how badly stained a patient’s teeth are. Many patients get their teeth as white as they want them to be after a single treatment, while others might need follow-up treatments to get there.
Teeth do not stay white forever even after whitening treatments, so maintenance treatments will be needed in the future as new stains start to form on teeth.
No, as teeth whitening treatments are most effective on stains caused by tobacco use, aging, and the tannins in foods and beverages. The bleaching agents used for these treatments are ineffective on stains caused by fluorosis, tetracycline antibiotics, and decay.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Cosmetic Dental Services in Huntsville, AL
Are you ready for a whiter smile? Give us a call or visit our Huntsville clinic to set up an appointment with our dentist for cosmetic dental services.
Request an appointment or call Smiles by Design, PC at 256-660-3233 for an appointment in our Huntsville office.
Cosmetic dental services can help improve the color of your teeth. Teeth start white, but they pick up stains as a person's life goes on. Some of these stains come from the coloring agents in the foods and beverages that we consume, while habits like using tobacco products cause others.Teeth can also become discolored as…
Cosmetic dental services should not be confused with restorative procedures. Cosmetic treatments aim to improve the way that your teeth and gums look, while restorative treatments are performed to restore the function of damaged teeth.However, many restorative treatments used in dentistry also provide cosmetic benefits. Crowns, for example, are designed to look like natural teeth.…
Cosmetic dental services often involve using tooth-colored restorations to restore damaged, decayed, or discolored teeth. Restorations, like crowns, can be made from materials like gold, silver, and metal alloys, but these materials look nothing like natural teeth. Most patients prefer restorations made from materials that share properties with real teeth, like porcelain, ceramics, and composites.…
In recent years, Invisalign® has become increasingly popular to straighten misaligned teeth. There are many benefits of this type of orthodontic treatment over traditional braces. Patients can remove the aligners to brush and floss the teeth, making oral hygiene measures much easier. Treatment time is often shorter, and the clear trays are not as noticeable…
Many people undergo teeth whitening procedures to make their smile look healthier and to increase their self-esteem. Although this procedure is largely painless unless you have very sensitive teeth, it is common to question the safety of products used to whiten your teeth. The safety of whitening procedures depends on many factors. Here are some common…