Dental Office Teeth Whitening

When you look in the mirror, what color are your teeth? White? Yellow? Brown? You may or may not be aware that over time teeth naturally become darker and stained. In addition to natural aging, there are some other factors like:

1. Smoking
2. Some food or drinks such as: coffee & tea
3. Some prescription and over the counter drugs such as: (Tetracycline & Iron)

may also discolor your teeth.

A Brighter Smile

A bright, white smile can be achieved by bleaching your teeth. There are several ways in which this can be done but the most commonly recommended technique by dentists is an in office bleaching. Hands down, this is the quickest and most effective way to whiten your teeth. 

Dental Office Whitening Treatment

Simply put, in office whitening uses a concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel to bleach your teeth to a brighter, whiter smile. To help accelerate the process for better results a special light or, with some bleaching systems, a laser is used in conjunction with the gel. What’s great is that the whitening procedure generally takes only one office visit.

The entire process takes roughly 1 to 2 hours and unlike other teeth whitening techniques that may take weeks to show results, you will see results almost immediately. 

How Long Does Teeth Whitening Last?

Dental office whitening can last anywhere from a few months to a few years and the degree of whitening changes from one person to another. This in part depends on the original condition of your teeth, specifically how stained they were, as well as the strength of the bleaching gel used. Also, in large part it depends on your eating, drinking and smoking habits, as no teeth whitening solution will result in a permanent color change of your teeth and it won’t prevent future staining. 
 
However you can maintain this whitening effect with the use of a home whitening kit. Home whitening involves wearing a custom fit mouth tray that contains a less concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel to help preserve your new brighter and whiter smile.

Risks Associated With Teeth Bleaching

There are some minor risks associated with whitening. The most common side effect is teeth sensitivity. Teeth sensitivity is generally mild and often subsides in a few days. Brushing your teeth with highly concentrated fluoride toothpaste or desensitizing toothpaste, such as ‘Sensodyne’ will also help reduce the discomfort. Your dentist can also prescribe you a fluoride gel to use which also should help reduce the sensitivity.

Gum irritation or discoloration is also another possible side effect. This will subside and the gum will go back to normal condition in about few days. 

If you have any additional questions, please consult with your dentist or get a more visual experience through the MediaMed system.