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Teeth whitening

Whitening

Teeth whitening is perhaps one of the most popular types of cosmetic dentistry out there today. Over time, our once perfectly pearl white teeth start to get stained and discolored. There are a lot of different reasons for this, like the food that we eat. A good example of this is people who drink a lot of coffee or smoke cigarettes. Their teeth often don’t stay white, which might cause them a little bit of stress about their appearance.

Our smiles mean a lot to us. It’s often the first thing other people see when we meet them. Having stained teeth can make us self-conscious about ourselves and even ruin our confidence. Thankfully, there are options out there today that will help us get rid of those stains and return our teeth to the beautiful white they once were. We can get our teeth whitened and there are often two ways of doing this.

The first way is by buying a teeth whitening kit at the store and applying it yourself. This might seem like a good, quick, and cheap option, but having it done the second way is a lot better. You can go to the dentist and have them professionally whiten your teeth. Professionals really know how to take care of your teeth better than some home whitening kit that you buy at the drugstore.

Both of these options do use peroxide as the main bleaching agent. The take-home kits have much less peroxide at around 3% to 20%. The dentist will usually have systems that use from 15% to 43% peroxide. The higher the peroxide content, the better the teeth whitening will be. This also includes more types of peroxides as well, like hydrogen peroxide.

How Long Does It Take?

It should be common sense that the stronger the solution that is put on your teeth, the brighter your teeth will become. You might be tempted to put more hydrogen peroxide solution on your teeth than is recommended, but if you do that then the last time it should be applied. Using too much peroxide on your teeth can actually do more harm than good. Your tooth can actually become dehydrated, sapping of it it’s moisture and increasing the amount of sensitivity your tooth has.

Even if you do choose to use the take-home kit because it seems like a better option, you should still contact your dentist beforehand. This is really something that should be done by professionals and the take-home tooth bleaching kits might not offer the type of results that you’re looking for. That’s why you should consider getting it done right the first time by professionals.

This is especially true because you often don’t know what other chemicals are hidden inside these types of products. You might find that they do more harm than good to your teeth and gums. As a non-dental professional, you wouldn’t be able to determine which chemicals might be harmful to you or what other teeth/mouth problems you might be having that can interact with those chemicals.

While you might think the in-home option is quicker, it’s really teeth whitening that is done by a dentist will be the fastest way to get it done. They usually have a stronger bleaching solution, know exactly what types of chemicals are being used, and even have other processes like adding heat or light that might help intensify the entire process, whitening your teeth faster.

Seeing a Dentist

Having your teeth whitened in-office at Cypress Portal Family Dentistry and Orthodontics usually only takes a few visits with the Zoom! 2 before you start seeing massive results that can be as much as eight shades brighter. These visits are usually no longer than an hour. Some dentists use special equipment or have a process that has the same result in a single visit than you’ll find in several visits the ‘old’ way. This is why it’s good to speak with your dentist to find out what they can do and what type of results they’re seeing from their patients.

It’s also good to make sure that whichever option you choose, you also help yourself to keep your teeth clean and white but regularly brushing, flossing, and rinsing them. You must employ a regular hygiene standard if you want the whitening you pay for it to last as long as possible. You can’t expect the teeth whitening to last too long if you don’t take care of your mouth.

Your dentist might also ask you to avoid drinking certain beverages such as soda, red and white wine, and coffee. You might also be asked to avoid acidic foods and condiments, like ketchup, curries, sauces, berries, and soy.