Our dental professionals at Cleary Dental offer teeth whitening treatments as a way to restore your smile. If you follow good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing every day after each meal and also by visiting our dentist for a cleaning every six months, you can keep your teeth healthy and white. However, your teeth may naturally become more yellow than they used to be over time.
SIDE EFFECTS OF TEETH WHITENING
Whitening your teeth can pose a few side effects. If you whiten your teeth there is a chance that you will experience some degree of gum irritation afterward. Tooth sensitivity can occur but mild irritation of the soft tissues of the mouth is most common and can last up to a week due to the bleach concentration in whitening treatments.
WHITENING DOES NOT WORK ON DENTAL RESTORATIONS
Teeth whitening is ideal for people who have healthy and unrestored teeth and gums without fillings, caps, or crowns. Whitening methods can be effective on intrinsic and extrinsic staining. Intrinsic staining happens on the inside of your tooth, while extrinsic staining stays on the surface. Whitening treatments will not be effective on any fillings in your teeth made from composite resins. This means that only natural teeth can be whitened. In most cases tooth-colored restorations cannot be bleached.
TYPES OF WHITENING TREATMENTS
In whitening treatments, carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide are used to permeate your hard dental issues. This includes at-home and professional teeth whitening treatments. There are many teeth whitening treatments available depending on your budget, time frame, and preferences.
At-home whitening treatments have peroxides in amounts ranging from 10 to 20 percent. When you are looking to use an at-home teeth whitening treatment you should choose a product with a peroxide level somewhere in between that range. If the product does not give you your desired effect you can try teeth whitening treatment with a higher level of peroxide as long as it does not bother your mouth. At-home whitening products include rinses, gels, strips, toothpaste, and even chewing gum.
During your professional whitening treatment, our dentist will make a record of the shade that your teeth started as. A grainy polish will be used to remove plaque from your teeth, then a barrier will be placed over your gum line to protect them during your treatment. Now we can coat the surface of your teeth with a whitening treatment that will use hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to bleach your smile. Your teeth will need to be cured with a light and left on the teeth for a half-hour to an hour. To prevent tooth sensitivity which is common after whitening, our dentist will use a fluoride treatment. Following your treatment, you should avoid eating any highly-pigmented food.
GET YOUR TEETH WHITENED TODAY
Teeth whitening is one of the most popular practices in cosmetic dentistry. At Cleary Dental whitening treatments can provide a quick, non-invasive, and affordable way to enhance your smile. Our experienced dental professionals are available to consult with you now by calling (856) 428-3050.