.png)
After whitening your teeth, it will last for 6 months to 3 years depending on how you care for your teeth.
Dr. Hurley will examine your teeth to determine if you’re a good candidate for teeth whitening.
After discussing your goals and needs, and assessing the severity of your discoloration, we will help you determine which whitening option is best for you.
Your soft tissues are protected when we perform the in-office treatment before applying any of the whitening product.
The whitening gel is painted onto your teeth and light-activated. Once exposed to UV light, it speeds up the reaction that whitens the teeth, giving you results within an hour. The product is then rinsed out of your mouth.
An in-office whitening treatment is applied in the dental chair. It takes about an hour per session and most patients only require one session unless discoloration is severe. In that case, you may require multiple sessions. Our Baltimore dentist recommends in-office whitening for special events where you need want to drastically lighten your enamel shade very quickly. The whitening gel will be applied right to your teeth after placing a retractor in your mouth and applying protective gel to your gums. Then, a UV light is used to activate the whitening agent. An hour later, we will rinse out the product and you’ll be left with teeth that are up to ten shades lighter.
A more convenient option to whiten your teeth is to never need to leave your home! After coming in for a quick appointment where we take impressions of your teeth to create tailor-made whitening trays that fit over your teeth, you’ll come back once they’re ready to pick them up.
Then you can start your whitening treatment whenever works for you and what you do while you whiten your teeth is completely up to you. It will take a little longer to achieve the same results as an in-office treatment, but your teeth will be just as white at the end.
Most patients need to wear their trays each day for up to 2 weeks. Follow the instructions provided to you by the dentist and apply the whitening product to the inside of your trays.
Smoking and using tobacco products will stain your teeth.
Yes, teeth whitening typically causes temporary tooth sensitivity as a side effect, especially with in-office whitening. This is because the whitening product demineralizes the teeth, temporarily exposing the dentinal tubules which are connected to the nerves in your teeth.
This leads to hypersensitivity to hot and cold. However, within 48 hours, your teeth should remineralize and the sensitivity should subside. Take-home whitening is associated with less sensitivity.
In the meantime, you can limit your consumption of foods and drinks that are hot and cold, use toothpaste for sensitive teeth, apply a desensitizing gel, or take anti-inflammatory pain medication.
To maintain your white smile, you should avoid tobacco products and staining foods and drinks like coffee, tea, red wine, soda, berries, dark sauces, and juice. Rinse your mouth with water after eating and drinking and drink through a straw.
Regular dental cleanings will remove surface stains to prevent discoloration but it’s also important to regularly brush and floss to prevent plaque buildup. Plaque can turn your teeth yellow.
A good candidate for whitening is someone who is unhappy with their smile because of their tooth discoloration. Any type of discoloration can be improved with teeth whitening, whether it’s minor or severe. The number of sessions you need will just vary. As long as you don’t have active oral health problems or very thin enamel, most people are suitable candidates for teeth whitening.
Intrinsic stains are on the outside layer of your enamel, while intrinsic stains are located on the inside of the tooth.
© Be More Dental 2021
Website by Wonderist Agency | Privacy Policy
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)