Brilliant white smiles are highly sought after these days and can improve your confidence as well as your physical appearance.  As a result, tooth whitening or tooth bleaching has become a very common procedure in the field of cosmetic dentistry.  This non-invasive procedure is very straightforward and can provide excellent results.

 

While there are several different methods available for whitening teeth, at-home tooth whitening & ZOOM!® Professional Teeth Whitening arethe most common and most popular option.  In addition to providing the convenience of an at-home treatment, this type of tooth whitening can provide truly remarkable results.

 

One thing to keep in mind prior to commencing a tooth whitening treatment is that such treatments will only have an effect on natural tooth enamel.  In other words, tooth whitening will not whiten fillings, crowns or other non-natural elements.  If it is decided that replacement of crowns or fillings should occur, the replacement should take place after the whitening treatment so the restorations can be matched with the color of the whitened teeth.

 

It's also important to keep in mind that tooth bleaching will not have a permanent effect.  While a treatment may last as long as several years, lifestyle factors can decrease whitening, leading to the need for more frequent touch-ups.  Such lifestyle factors include smoking and drinking dark liquids such as coffee and red wine.

Tooth whitening can improve:

• Teeth stained by the natural aging process.
  
• Teeth stained by smoking, drinking coffee and other lifestyle factors.
  
• Teeth stained by medications such as tetracycline.
  
• Regular wear and tear of the outer tooth layer.
• Mottled enamel caused by fluorosis (exposure to excessive amounts of fluorine during tooth development).
  

The tooth whitening procedure:

This method of at-home tooth bleaching will typically require two appointments with your dentist.  During the first appointment, your dentist will take impressions of your teeth in order to create plastic trays customized to fit your mouth.  The second appointment will involve testing the fit of the plastic trays and making any adjustments that may be necessary.

 

Once the mouth trays are ready for use you will put whitening solution into the trays before fitting them into your mouth.  The mouth trays will either be worn for 30 minutes two times a day or while you are sleeping.  The method you will follow for wearing your mouth trays will depend on how stained your teeth are and how much whitening you want to occur.  In most cases, the desired level of whitening will be achieved in approximately two weeks.

 

While some patients experience tooth sensitivity while undergoing whitening treatments, that is completely normal.  The sensitivity should alleviate just a short time after the whitening treatment is complete.  To ensure the best results, be sure to follow the instructions provided by your dentist with respect to caring for your teeth and your mouth trays.