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People with stained, discolored or dull-looking teeth can often benefit from tooth whitening, one of the easiest and most affordable of all cosmetic dental procedures.
Discoloration of the teeth can come from a number of sources. Some dark stains are the result of taking the antibiotic tetracycline as a child. Others are natural stains that occur over time from foods, drinks and tobacco products. Whatever the cause, few of us want a stained or darkly-covered smile, and that is why tooth whitening is such an exciting option for so many people. Tooth whitening is performed in one of two ways: in-office bleaching, which is performed in one or more sessions at our office or dentist-supervised, at-home bleaching. Both methods achieve results which are notably superior to over-the-counter products such as whitening toothpastes.
The difference between in-office and at-home bleaching is that in-office bleaching uses a slightly stronger bleaching agent. This means it works more quickly and is usually completed in one or two sessions. At-home bleaching will take slightly longer but is equally effective and will require minimal time at the dentist office. You will be able to carry out your normal daily activities while you whiten your smile.
How does bleaching work?
The bleaching process is achieved by applying a bleaching compound directly to your teeth. If you choose in-office bleaching, this compound will be applied to your teeth and kept there long enough to achieve the whitening effect. The time required to do this can vary depending on the darkness of the stains or discolorations.
For at-home bleaching, the process is slightly different. At your first appointment, an impression of your teeth will be taken. From this impression, a custom bleaching tray or “splint” will be made which perfectly fits your teeth. When you are ready to bleach, you will simply place a small amount of bleaching compound on the tray and then place the tray over your teeth. You will wear the tray as directed by Dr. Rogers.
The tray is so small and comfortable that you can continue your daily activities without a problem. This is one of the nice advantages of at-home bleaching.
Bleaching cannot remove all stains, however. In these cases, it may be better to consider one of the other treatment options for stained or discolored teeth. Also, dental restorations, in general, will not bleach.
Dr. Rogers will be more than happy to discuss your particular case with you and evaluate you as a candidate for bleaching.