Teeth Whitening

Why Should I Choose Professional Teeth Whitening?

In-office teeth whitening, also known as chairside teeth whitening or power bleaching, differs greatly from do-it-yourself products. With in-office treatment, your treatment is closely monitored by our professional team, ensuring that your treatment is safe and your experience is pain-free. In-office treatment also uses much more highly concentrated bleaching gel, which gives you immediate and stunning results.

This treatment works best on teeth that are discolored by the accumulation of food and beverage stains and years of smoking or using chewing tobacco. Some types of discoloration aren’t as effectively treated with teeth whitening procedures. This includes teeth that are stained by medications such as tetracycline and teeth that are discolored by structural issues such as decay or injury. You should also be aware that artificial tooth surfaces such as those found with crowns, veneers and fillings, won’t become lighter during treatment.

Before treating your teeth, our dentists thoroughly evaluate your dental health and determine the underlying cause of your tooth discoloration. This evaluation helps us to recommend the type of treatment that will give you the best results and ensure that you enjoy consistent, exceptional results. Once your evaluation is complete, we’ll work with you to find the treatment that suits your needs and your budget so you can enjoy a smile you’re proud of.

Is Effective At-Home Whitening Available?

In addition to our in-office teeth whitening treatments, we offer patients a convenient at-home kit that provides excellent results. The kit includes professional-grade teeth whitening gel as well as whitening trays that are custom-made to fit your teeth. These custom-made trays are crafted from impressions taken of your teeth to ensure a perfect, comfortable fit.

To use the kit effectively, you’ll fill the tray with teeth whitening gel each day and wear the tray for about an hour. You’ll repeat the process daily for two weeks to get the best results from teeth whitening at home. At the end of the two-week period, most patients find that their teeth are lightened by as many as six shades.

What Does the Average Teeth Bleaching Cost?

The cost of in-office teeth whitening depends on many different issues, including the kind of bleaching system chosen and the number of treatments required to achieve your desired tooth shade. Usually, your price also includes any follow-up care you’ll require such as repairs to even out the color of your veneers, crowns or fillings and any necessary at-home bleaching kits designed to maintain the brightness of your smile. You can learn more about your actual expected costs by contacting our office to schedule a consultation. Once our dentist has assessed your specific needs, we’ll give you an accurate estimate for your treatment.

Should I Opt for Professional or DIY Teeth Whitening Products?

With dozens of over-the-counter options available, it can be difficult to know what kind of teeth whitening to choose. If you’re trying to decide whether to have your teeth professionally whitened or to use a DIY teeth whitener, you should know that professional bleaching agents are far more powerful than over-the-counter options. Because we supervise your treatment, we can ensure that the whitening agent is applied evenly on all of your teeth so you have a natural-looking, whiter smile from one side of your grin to the other. This supervision also helps avoid user error, ensuring that your gums stay safe during treatment.

What Should You Expect During a Teeth Whitening Procedure?

Each teeth whitening procedure is a little different, depending on the type of whitening system being used. Generally, though, these treatments include the following steps:

1. Your teeth bleaching dentist will examine and clean your teeth.
2. Your dentist may also take photos of your teeth to monitor the whitening progress.
3. A cheek retractor is used to pull your cheeks and lips out of the way, exposing your teeth.
4. An application of a protective liquid helps shield your gums from the bleaching solution.
5. A number of coatings of bleaching gel are applied to your teeth, one at a time.
6. A special light may be used to enhance whitening.

If you’re ready to restore your pearly whites, give us a call. We’ll show you how easy it is to gain a bright smile with teeth whitening in Frederick.