One of the easiest ways to enhance your smile is to Whiten your teeth!
Today there are many ways to whiten teeth… There are strips, trays, lasers, high powered lights and paint on products. These devices don’t actually whiten teeth themselves, they deliver or activate peroxide, the whitening agent. Peroxide is the key component in whitening teeth. Take home systems such as: Strips, Trays, and Paint ons have a lower concentration. The in office “Laser” whitening systems use a high concentration Hydrogen Peroxide. The laser or light systems only mildly improve the activation of the peroxide, many times the peroxide itself if left on the teeth long enough will provide the same results with or with out the light...!
Whitening Systems
Paint on- This is purchased at a drug store and painted on the teeth before bed, while it sounds like an intriguing idea, it is usually washed off in a few minutes and probably doesn’t deliver much whitening power.
WhiteStrips- whitestrips do work but they only whiten the front 6 teeth on the top and bottom. Whitestrips are a very good way to get started, but probably won’t be as successful as custom made trays. Whitestrips are a very cost effective way to begin the whitening process. Our office is able to provide Whitestrips with twice the peroxide concentration than a box purchased from the drugstore.
Take Home Trays-The easiest most successful form of tooth whitening. We take a quick impression of the top and bottom teeth, which gives us a very accurate model of your teeth! We use those models to create a tray that adapts to your teeth. This tray will hold the peroxide that whitens your teeth. These trays are worn with the peroxide in place for a few hours a day, for 2-4 weeks. Once you are satisfied with the results, you can keep the trays handy for a touch up every few months.
In Office Whitening There are many name brands that are available, products like Zoom, BrightSmile, Boost. All of these systems are implemented in the dental office. Each visit is about 60-90 minutes in length, because the gums are completely isolated to prevent burning of the tissue. A high concentration Hydrogen Peroxide is applied outer surfaces of the teeth. The peroxide needs to be in contact with the teeth for a total of 45-60 minutes. Every 15 minutes or so fresh peroxide is applied. Often a light or laser is used to help activate the peroxide. On average it takes 2-6 visits to get the same results as a 4 week take home session. We feel in office whitening is most effective when used in conjuction with take home trays! It is a great jump start!