Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure designed to lighten the color of your natural teeth and remove most stains or discoloration.
If you hesitate showing your smile because you are not happy with the shade of your teeth, whitening is a great option!
New Smiles offers free WHITENING FOR LIFE to all our active patients. Call us for more details!
Because of the increase in technology and product improvement & availability, custom plastic whitening trays are not always necessary to get the same whitening results. Patients can take a set of convenient, disposable trays home and use at their convenience.
Many patients wear their trays after dinner and before bed. These trays, which are imbedded with a specific professional whitening solution, are simply placed in a patients mouth for approximately 20 minutes per day. A significant change in tooth color is usually seen in just 1-2 weeks.
Depending on a patient’s lifestyle and personal habits, the results can last for months to years. If you smoke, drink coffee, tea or red wine, or frequently eat stain-causing foods, you may want to touch-up your results more frequently. Teeth whitening may be repeated as often as 1-2 times a year for people who are in good, general oral health.
It is recommended that patients undergo a full dental exam and cleaning every six months to confirm that teeth and gums are in good health. Call New Smiles to ask about our WHITENING FOR LIFE program.
Most adults, and even some teens, can be good candidates for teeth whitening. Having our dentists perform and oversee your whitening process adds a layer of safety and efficacy to your treatment. Before we prescribe teeth whitening, we conduct a thorough dental examination.
This allows us to identify potential concerns, such as gingivitis, gum disease, or cavities, which may experience discomfort when the whitening trays are applied. If necessary, we will treat problems ahead of time to ensure we achieve a more comfortable, aesthetically pleasing outcome.
Yes, teeth whitening is safe. Before beginning teeth whitening treatments, the dentist performs a thorough exam to rule out potential dental problems to ensure you are a good candidate. The whitening agents used have been carefully tested for safety and efficacy. They have improved through the years and have consistently achieved outstanding results.
Every patient is different however, so if a patient has sensitivity during the whitening process, it is suggested, for example, to reduce the time trays are in the mouth by skipping a day in-between treatments or limiting the time to 5-10 minutes versus 10-20 minutes. Sometimes other treatments can help to reduce sensitivity. It is always best to come in or call to discuss any concerns.
Because the tray whitening process does not change the shade or color of already present crowns, veneers or removable prosthetics, New Smiles doctors are able to offer alternatives such as replacing these to have the shade desired match the whitened teeth. This is also a great option for those who have broken, fractured or stained teeth from ie. Tetracycline treatments as an adolescent.
Other alternatives include using over-the-counter toothpastes or whitening strips which may or may not have similar results.
