How Can You Get A Whiter, Brighter Smile?

If patients would like whiter teeth, what are their options?

If you’re considering whitening your teeth, start with a visit to your dentist because only your dentist can tell you if your teeth and gums are healthy enough to have a whitening process done. The other thing I want to clarify is when most people refer to whitening, they’re talking about bleaching, which is a process that will whiten their teeth beyond the natural tooth color, so I’m going to mention the options we have for bleaching. We have in-office bleaching, done in a dental office, usually within an hour. The results are great and immediate, so it’s very advantageous. You walk in with dark teeth; you walk out with white teeth.

We also have custom-made trays with bleaching gel, also carried out in the dental office. This system takes a little bit longer, usually ten days to two weeks, to complete. The results are also fabulous. The advantage is that it is a little less expensive than the in-office bleaching, and if you want to do a touchup down the road, in a year or two, you still have the trays with you. Both these procedures are done in dental offices.

The results are amazing. They’re the best results you’re going to get with bleaching, largely due to high concentrations of the bleach. That’s why they are done in a dental office because they have to be supervised by a dentist. Then, we have your over-the-counter whitening strips. These are purchased over the counter, like I said.They’re relatively inexpensive. The results are variable because the bleaches are very low in concentration, and the other disadvantage is the strips usually only cover the front teeth, so you’re only whitening the front teeth. And then, you’ve got your whitening toothpastes, and these products contain abrasives and polishes to remove stains, but they have nothing to whiten your teeth.