Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a simple process that lightens your teeth and brightens your smile. Many patients have boosted their confidence with our teeth whitening services and you can too!

TEETH WHITENING STEPS

• Dental examination – The first step in our whitening process is for our dentist to evaluate whether or not you are a good candidate for teeth whitening. It’s a super easy and quick look around in your mouth. We will likely ask you a few questions about tooth sensitivity and what you hope teeth whitening will do for you.
• Impressions – If you’re a good candidate and decide to have your teeth whitened, then our dental team will take impressions of your teeth. These impressions will be used to make custom whitening trays that fit your teeth exactly.
• Office visit – Once your whitening trays have been made (this usually takes a few days), we will call you and let you know they are ready for pick up. Our dental team will make sure your trays fit properly. They will walk you through the process of adding whitening gel to your tray and putting it on your teeth. You will be given all the supplies and instructions that you need to whiten your teeth.
• Wear your trays – Wearing your whitening trays for 30 minutes a day for 2 to 3 weeks is all it takes.
• Follow up visit – We will see you back after a few weeks of whitening with your custom trays to evaluate your progress.

AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE?

Most people are good candidates for whitening, although there are a few things to be mindful of. The significant thing to be aware of is that only natural teeth can be whitened. Crowns, bridges, and composite fillings will not change color. This is especially important if you have had restorative work done on your front teeth.

Another thing to consider is whether or not you use tobacco products or drink dark colored beverages like red wine or coffee. This is an important consideration because these habits can cause more staining and your teeth may not stay white as long after bleaching.

IS WHITENING MY TEETH SAFE?

Teeth whitening is a safe procedure for you and your teeth. The whitening gel can cause slight irritation if it sits on your gum tissue too long. This usually happens when patients aren’t aware of how to put the gel on their teeth correctly. This isn’t usually a problem for our patients, as our dental team will show you exactly how to place the whitening gel into the dental tray.

Sometimes, patients mention that they experience slight tooth sensitivity during the whitening process. This tends to be associated more with patients who already noticed tooth sensitivity before whitening. Should you notice that you have tooth sensitivity during whitening, we recommend that you use a mouth rinse or toothpaste that is specially formulated for helping sensitive teeth.

I HAVE AN IMPORTANT EVENT COMING UP, WHEN SHOULD I WHITEN?

Weddings, graduations, turning 50–there are so many great reasons for sprucing up your smile!

The whitening process usually takes about four weeks total to have your trays made and to
whiten your teeth to the shade you want. For timing reasons, we suggest starting the whitening
process a few months before your special event!

The best part of whitening trays is that you can touch up as often as you need to for those
special events once you have your own set!

Call our office today to schedule your evaluation appointment and get all your whitening
questions answered!