Teeth whitening procedures can be an effective way to lighten the natural shade of your teeth. It is natural for our teeth to change color over time. This is a result of the enamel being worn away and stained by the effects of aging and food products such as coffee, wine and tobacco. Today, more and more people are choosing teeth-whitening procedures to reverse these effects.
Professional teeth whitening is the most common method to brightened your smile. Our dental team will be able to tell you if you are a candidate for any of the treatment options.
During in office teeth whitening, we will place a shield over your gums to protect them. Then, we will apply the whitening product to your teeth. The ‘active ingredient' in the product is usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. As the active ingredient is broken down, it releases oxygen. It is the oxygen which gets into the enamel on the teeth making them brighter.
Another whitening option is to fabricate custom trays that fit over your teeth. This at home treatment consists of regularly applying the whitening product over one to two weeks, for 30 minutes to one hour at a time.
It is important to understand that whitening agents actually change the color of your teeth, but are only effective on certain types of stains. For example, bleaching agents have a difficult time removing brownish or grayish stains commonly seen as a result of medications. These products will also not change the color of restorations such as crowns, bridges, veneers, bonding and tooth-colored fillings. The effects of teeth whitening vary from person to person and the longevity may also depend on your diet and smoking habits.
At GC Dental Arts we recommend a combination of in-office and at home whitening . We consider this to be the most effective and safest method of teeth whitening.
For a consultation, please call us at 813-672-4900.