Teeth Whitening

A common misconception is that teeth whitening will erode or eat enamel, however, teeth whitening is very safe and won’t impact the integrity of the enamel. Teeth whitening involves a chemical reaction that emit a free oxygen ion, which removes enamel staining and discoloration and gives the teeth a white shade. Whitening services through the dental office offer one of two choices. 

The first choice is an at home treatment. Our office gives the patient a custom tray that fits over their teeth, where the whitening material is placed. Patients wear the custom trays with the whitening material for thirty minutes a day until satisfactory results are achieved. 

The second choice is an in-office whitening, with the aid of an activating light if desired. The in-office whitening is done under the supervision of the dentist. Protective materials are placed over the gum of a patient due to the high concentration of the whitening material. Patients will normally experience transient sensitivity with their teeth which tends to last for 24 to 48 hours. Patients must avoid having discoloring foods and drinks, such as coffee, tea, red wine, etc. Prior to a patient starting their teeth whitening service, patients have to be checked by the dentist and cleared of tooth decay to avoid problems where decayed teeth can develop into extreme pain and result in needing a root canal.