Tooth Whitening

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The combination in-office/take-home whitening procedure 
Models are taken of your mouth and a custom-fitted mouth guard is made for you. I instruct my patients to wear the mouth guard for a period of two weeks, for two hours each day, or they may wear it overnight. Results vary depending upon the original color and shade of your teeth (i.e., some teeth are naturally yellow, reddish-brown, or gray.) I have never encountered a patient who did not benefit from the whitening process

Bleaching/Whitening 
Almost everyone wants whiter, brighter teeth. Teeth naturally darken with age. If you are a cigarette smoker or drink a lot of coffee and tea, your teeth are more likely to stain. Extrinsic stains, stains on outer surfaces of the teeth, can usually be removed during a thorough professional dental cleaning. However, intrinsic stains, stains within the tooth itself, must be removed through bleaching. This can be accomplished with the same results either at home when overseen by your dentist or in the dental office with a carbamide-peroxide or hydrogen peroxide solution. Most patients go two to three years before it is necessary to undergo the bleaching process again. Other patients just require a touch-up sooner. I caution you to avoid any whitening procedure without supervision by your dentist for several reasons that include:

• Not everyone is a candidate for bleaching and must be evaluated first by a dentist. One reason to check with your dentist is to ensure that you will not be sensitive to the procedure. It may be necessary to replace some older fillings with new fillings prior to the procedure to avoid sensitivity. Also, because porcelain and tooth-colored fillings tend not to bleach, you may want to replace them after bleaching in order to improve aesthetics.
• Not all over-the-counter bleaching solutions are pH-balanced. Some may cause irritation of the gums.
• Bleaching can sometimes lead to sensitive teeth, which your dentist can help by changing the concentration of the solutions or administering fluoride.
• It is important to have a custom-fitted mouth guard so that the bleaching gel remains on your teeth rather than on your gums.

In Office Whitening

As a matter of convenience, many of my patients choose in-office whitening. The activated peroxide solution is applied directly to the teeth. The process is safe, easy, and fast. Results are accomplished in just one appointment. Sometimes it may be necessary to use a combination of in-office and at home bleaching in order to achieve the patient’s desired results. 

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