How is teeth whitening done?
Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered if your smile could be just a little brighter? You’re not alone.
The way we feel when we're laughing with friends or smiling for pictures leaves an indelible impression on ourselves and others, but years of eating, smoking, and drinking beverages with high pigments like red wine, coffee, or tea may have taken their toll. Professional teeth whitening, fortunately, may be able to help.
Types of Teeth Whitening Procedures
It may surprise you to know there are different types of teeth whitening procedures. They include:
In-Office Whitening
One of the most effective teeth whitening procedures is completed in a dental office. Your dentist’s gel has much stronger whitening agents that can produce more effective results than over-the-counter products. In-office whitening involves the following steps:
- After cleaning your teeth, your dentist will perform an oral exam to look for tooth decay, gingivitis, or fractures that may have to be corrected before your teeth can be whitened.
- The dentist puts a cheek retractor in your mouth, then paints your gum tissue with a hardening resin or liquid rubber dam to prevent any irritation the bleaching gel could cause.
- Bleaching gel is applied and stays on for 15 to 30 minutes before being washed off. Fresh gel is used for another 15 to 30 minutes.
- Your dentist may shine a light on your teeth to start the bleaching process.
- Your teeth are checked intermittently to make sure they are whitening properly. More bleach may need to be administered.
- Your cheek retractor is removed after a final gel application, and your dentist will take a first shade change measurement. Your “true new colour” should emerge after about two days.
- Depending on whether the desired whitening occurred, you may need to follow up with more in-office treatments or try take-home whitening trays.
Take-Home Whitening Trays
Take-home whitening trays provide the cost-effectiveness, convenience, and comfort of teeth whitening at home. They are a good option if your insurance plan does not cover dental teeth whitening or if professional in-office teeth whitening is too expensive.
Your dentist will need to take an impression of your teeth to create custom-fitted trays, which will take about one to two weeks to produce. Over two weeks, you'll place the trays in your mouth and leave them in for an hour each day. When compared to over-the-counter options, people typically notice better results at the end of the process.