If you’re looking to make improvements to your smile, whitening is a great place to start. In fact, at the Smile Design Center, we encourage most of our smile makeover patients to do some form of teeth whitening, even if they plan to pursue other dental treatment, such as composite bonding or porcelain veneers, to achieve the smile of their dreams.
When embarking on a whitening journey, it’s important that you find a dentist who works alongside you to help you achieve your dream smile, tracking your progress and making changes to your regimen when needed. At the Smile Design Center, we create a custom teeth whitening plan to achieve your specific goals.
At-Home Teeth Whitening
At the Smile Design Center, we are convinced that a take-home whitening system is the most effective option for whitening teeth. Our at-home program utilizes a peroxide bleaching gel that can achieve great results.
Here’s how we proceed:
1) Consult
We’ll start with a consult, where we discuss your smile goals to determine if teeth whitening is the best way of reaching them. We’ll do a brief exam to give us the information we need to create the best plan for your smile. If you have few fillings or restorations, teeth whitening may be a great option for you. If you are a good candidate for whitening, we’ll move on to creating a custom tray for you.
2) Tray Fitting
At this point, we’ll take impressions of your smile to create your custom-fitted whitening tray. Since the gel needs to remain in contact with your enamel for 30-60 minutes, a comfortable, accurately-fitting tray allows for the best possible results.
3) Your Daily Whitening Routine
Along with your tray and at-home bleaching gel, we’ll send you home with information on the details of your daily whitening routine. You’ll be directed to wear your tray for a specific amount of time per day, which will depend on your individual needs and preferences. Most people who do this daily will find it takes from 2 weeks to 2 months to reach their maximum brightness.
You may experience some sensitivity when bleaching and for a day or two afterwards. This sensitivity is always temporary, but for some people it can be difficult to tolerate. If this happens to you, it may help to skip a day or two between using the gel. Using a desensitizing toothpaste or topical fluoride can also help reduce symptoms.
Evaluating Your Results
After your whitening program is complete, you may choose to schedule a follow-up visit. For some patients, our customized at-home whitening plan accomplishes all of their goals, even without a follow-up visit. Depending on your specific esthetic goals and how your teeth respond to the treatment, at-home teeth whitening may be all you need.
Should you decide you’d like further improvement, at this visit we can also discuss options such as conservative dental bonding, porcelain veneers, or simply contouring a few teeth for a better shape. To learn more about our smile makeover treatments, visit our pages on Porcelain Veneers or Dental Bonding.
Common Myths About Teeth Whitening
Myth #1: Over-the-counter products are cheaper and just as effective.
Over-the-counter, generic systems are usually bulkier . Over-the-counter teeth whitening products use generic trays, which are usually bulkier and less comfortable than custom-fitted trays. They are also much less effective at holding the gel in place for the needed time, which means you may end up using more gel in the long run. So while over-the-counter systems cost less initially, they could end up costing more if you stick with them long enough to get good results.
Another over-the-counter option is Crest Whitestrips,™ which contain bleaching gel in a strip similar to an adhesive bandage which allows the gel to stay in contact with the teeth for the recommended amount of time. But as with other over-the-counter options, though the cost is lower initially, over time you could end up paying more than you would with the custom-fitted tray.
Myth #2: Using the strongest gel is the most effective way to whiten your smile.
Actually, using the mildest bleaching gel available is the best way to keep sensitivity in check and experience more stable results. Although a stronger, more concentrated gel might whiten faster, it will also make it more likely to experience sensitivity. Not only that, but whitening more gradually also helps improve the stability of the effect.
Myth #3: Effective teeth bleaching requires light, heat, or a laser.
In-office power bleaching sessions sometimes claim to offer enhanced effectiveness through a light, heat, or even a laser, but don’t be fooled: the only active agent is the bleach. On top of that, these sessions use a high-percentage bleaching gel that is likely to cause extreme sensitivity and make it hard to use the daily technique afterwards. And without following up with a daily gel application in a tray, the results of the power bleaching won’t be stable for long. This option also costs a lot more than the more reliable type you do at your own pace at home.
Your Brightest Smile Starts Here
When you’re ready for the smile of your dreams, give us a call at (504) 831-1131 to schedule an appointment. Or feel free to request an appointment online, and we’ll reach out to you for scheduling.
