Everything You Need To Know About Teeth Whitening

Do you feel a tinge of envy whenever you see your favorite celebrity flash a bright, beautiful smile? Professional teeth whitening with the help of an experienced dentist in Westlake is an efficient, safe, and effective solution. There are a lot of things that you need to consider before choosing this treatment.

Here’s everything you should know:

Teeth whitening procedures consist of two main ingredients—hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. Unlike whitening toothpaste, which uses abrasive ingredients to mechanically grind off any surface-level stains, these whitening agents consist of oxygen molecules that chemically weaken the stains.

Many OTC whitening kits, strips, and pens also use some form of peroxide. The biggest difference between professional teeth whitening and these is the concentration of chemicals. Dentists use a high concentration of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) since they can isolate your teeth by using a rubber dam to protect your gums.

In-office treatment

Professional whitening treatments depend on the person’s unique needs and are typically done in multiple short appointments. The whitening material is left on the patient’s teeth for 15-30 minutes before being washed off and re-applied. The appointment shouldn’t take more than 1.5 hours.

There are 2 different kinds of in-office treatments for teeth whitening:

Hydrogen peroxide and a type of highly intensive light such as halogen, UV, or LED. The light is sourced from a laser device or lamp that sits outside the mouth.
A high concentration of hydrogen peroxide gel that’s applied with a syringe.
Laser light and halogen light can increase teeth lightness much more than peroxide alone.

What can you expect?

There are several steps involved in in-office treatments for teeth whitening:

After looking at a tooth shading chart, you and your dentist will discuss the level of lightness that you want to achieve.
Your dental health specialist will use pumice to polish your teeth and remove plaque before placing a barrier along your gumline to protect the fleshy parts of your mouth.

They’ll apply the whitening material for an hour and use light activation.

After the whitening process is done, your dentist will rinse your teeth and apply fluoride to mitigate any sensitivity.
Once you’ve reached your desired shade, your dentist is going to discuss any changes in lifestyle habits that you’ll need to make for the next couple of days so that the whitening agent gets time to do its thing. This includes staying away from brightly colored food, red wine, and coffee.

We provide top-notch cosmetic dentistry services in Westlake

Are you ready to show off your bright white smile? Dr. Below has got you covered! Our team will make sure that you’re comfortable throughout your procedure by answering all your questions and making sure that you’re aware of the process. We provide many dental services such as routine checkups, dental implants, and deep teeth cleaning.

Book an appointment at the clinic today!