TEETH WHITENING

One way to perk up your smile is to whiten your teeth. Tooth whitening is the #1 requested and performed cosmetic dental procedure. Teeth Whitening is a procedure that lightens teeth and helps to remove stains and discoloration.

Cavities need to be treated before teeth are whitened because the whitening solution can penetrate decay and reach the inner areas of the tooth, which can cause pain and sensitivity. Receding gums can cause roots to become exposed. Whitening will not work on exposed tooth roots, because roots do not have an enamel layer and whitening only works on enamel. Whitening also does not work on porcelain restorations such as crowns or veneers.

Depending on the amount of dental work you’ve had, your mouth’s sensitivity and the color of your teeth, our dentists can suggest appropriate whitening methods:

• WHITENING TOOTHPASTES. Including mild abrasives and other agents, these can remove minor surface stains.
• HOME BLEACHING. Home whitening system involves placing a gel-like whitening solution, which contains hydrogen peroxide, inside a tray and placed over the teeth for a short period daily over several days. This method is dentist-prescribed but can be lower cost than in-office treatments.
• PROFESSIONAL BLEACHING. One-hour bleaching systems can whiten natural teeth immediately. Our dentist applies a bleaching agent to the teeth while shielding the gums to reduce possible irritation. Sometimes a specialized light source is used to enhance the whitening process to produce faster and more dramatic results.