Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening remains one of the most economical ways to give you the smile you’ve always wanted. If you feel like your smile is lacking that special sparkle, you’re not alone. When the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry asked people what they’d most like to improve about their smile, the most common response was whiter teeth.
If you are looking into teeth whitening, at Sloan’s Lake Dental, we offer several options. One is an in-office treatment, another is take-home whitening, or we offer a combination of both treatments.
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
The stains on your teeth come in two categories: extrinsic and intrinsic.
Extrinsic just means that they are on the surface of your teeth.
Intrinsic stains occur in the tiny cracks in your enamel and deep in your dentin (the layer underneath the enamel) and can be caused while the teeth are developing.
Depending on the severity of the intrinsic stains you may require more advanced treatment cosmetic dentistry or full-mouth rehabilitation.
You can remove most surface stains on your teeth with whitening toothpastes and mouth rinses. But often these products are extremely abrasive and can cause damage to your gums and teeth.
It’s best and most effective for you to use some form of dental whitening gels. These specialized gels contain either carbamide or hydrogen peroxide, which are active whitening ingredients.
Both methods use what is called peroxide-based tooth whitening. How much whitening you will get depends on the total amount of exposure you teeth get to the peroxide.
In the in-office method, we use a higher concentration of whitener that is applied for a shorter period of time. The whitener is then activated by a laser. The biggest benefit of using the laser, is it desensitizes the teeth as it whitens.
Which Teeth Whitening Method is Right for You?
In-office Whitening
- Results can often be seen immediately after each treatment.
- The process can be completed in just one appointment.
- Laser whitening is a unique way to whiten teeth with no sensitivity
- Professional whitening typically costs more than in-home treatments.
- The process takes approximately 45minutes
At-home Whitening
- You have to follow directions carefully.
- Typically, it’s advisable to whiten twice a day for 30 minutes at a time for 2 weeks.
- More tooth sensitivity is noted with at-home whitening, but only lasts for 24 hours after you’re done whitening.
- At-home dental whitening consists of having custom whitening trays made.
- At-home whitening kits do cost less than in-office treatments.
- You can adjust the level of exposure to the solution, keeping the side effects to a minimum.
- A benefit to at-home trays is it is a one-time investment and you will only have to purchase tubes of bleach to maintain your white teeth the rest of your life.
If you are more budget conscious, the at-home method might be best for you. Or if you are looking into whitening because you have a special event coming up soon, or you don’t want the hassle of incorporating whitening into your daily routine, the in-office method is probably makes sense
Schedule Your Appointment Now
If you have been wanting to get your teeth whitened, come see us at Sloan’s Lake Dental.
Come let us help you enjoy a bright new smile! Contact us now to set up your teeth whitening.