Tooth Whitening Center

Brighten Your Smile!

Whitening is a very conservative and non-invasive approach to creating a brighter and more appealing smile. Teeth can often take on a darker and unattractive appearance with age or from contact with staining substances.

Tobacco, Coffee, tea, juices, poor hygiene, genetics, and natural aging can cause the discoloration. Tooth whitening has become very popular for a whiter and brighter smile because it’s fast, simple and inexpensive with excellent and predictable results.

How It’s Done

There are two commonly used methods for whitening: at-home and in-office. Both begin with an office consultation to determine if the patient is a good candidate for the whitening process. The at-home technique is least expensive. The in-office method (power whitening) allows the dentist to place a higher concentration of an oxidizing agent to the teeth.

Types of Tooth Whitening Procedures

At-Home Method

A custom mouthpiece or “tray” is made by the dental office to fit your teeth. This tray fits over the patient’s teeth and holds the whitening material against the teeth for a specified period of time. There are different concentrations of oxidizing gels that are worn via the tray for 30 minutes per day for an average of 10 to 14 days. The regimen will be determined by the dentist and may differ for each patient. If the teeth become more sensitive to hot and cold, a “desensitizing” material may be used in the same tray on alternating days. Results are usually excellent with this method and the trays can be used to remove future staining.

In-Office Method (Power Whitening)

The gum tissues are covered to protect them from being irritated by a higher concentration of the oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent is then activated by a high intensity light to accelerate the process. Most patients require a touch-up after one to five years, depending on the patient’s habits and desires.