Teeth whitening is a procedure designed to lighten the color of your teeth using a hydrogen peroxide mixture. It produces maximum whitening results in the shortest possible time with minimum sensitivity.
During the procedure, the whitening gel will be applied to your teeth for three (3) 8-minute sessions. For the duration of the entire treatment, a plastic cheek retractor will be placed in your mouth to help keep it open and your gums will be covered with a barrier to ensure isolation from the hydrogen peroxide gel. Before and after the treatment, the shade of your teeth will be assessed and recorded.
All forms of health treatment, including tooth whitening, have some risks and limitations. Complications that can occur in professional tooth whitening are infrequent and are usually minor in nature.
Tooth Sensitivity : During the whitening process some patients may experience tooth sensitivity. This is normal and generally mild if your teeth are not normally sensitive. If your teeth are normally sensitive, please inform us before treatment. Please let us know if you experience any discomfort during or after the procedure so we are able to minimize your discomfort. A mild analgesic will usually be effective in eliminating any discomfort.
Whitening may cause inflammation of your gums, lips or cheek margins. This is generally the result of the whitening gel coming into contact with these tissues. Protective materials are placed in the mouth to prevent this, but despite our best efforts, it can still rarely occur. If any irritation does occur, it is generally short in duration and is very mild. Rinsing with warm salt water can relieve it.
White fillings; porcelain or composite restorations, crowns or veneers may not whiten at all or evenly with your natural teeth during this procedure. Please discuss this with our doctors here prior to beginning treatment.
Follow instructions before tooth whitening treatment
Follow instructions from your dental professional.
If you are a smoker, do not smoke for 48 hours.
Stay away from highly colored foods
(red sauce, blueberries, etc.) and beverages (coffee, tea, etc.) for 48 hours.
Mild sensitivity to hot or cold liquids may occur. This usually passes within 1-2 days.
If sensitivity is severe or persists, contact your dental office.
If you experience gum sensitivity do not brush the afflicted area while brushing your teeth.
Immediate whitening results can be quite dramatic due to minor dehydration of your teeth. It is normal for the color to tone down somewhat after treatment when your teeth rehydrate to a natural white tone.
Long term results vary from patient to patient. This can depend on the original shade of your teeth and include habits such as smoking or drinking colored beverages (red wine, coffee, tea, etc.)
“Touch-up” treatments may be needed every 6-12 months to retain color. You can ask our dental expert about different “touch-up”.
Existing fillings, crowns, bonding, etc. will not whiten. Therefore, these may need to be changed in order to match your new smile.
If you do not understand something communicated to you during consultation regarding tooth whitening treatment before or after the procedure, please feel free to ask our doctors.
Follow instructions before tooth whitening treatment
Follow instructions from your dental professional.
