Teeth Whitening Information Center

  • No doubt about it. We're living longer, we're living better. All that effort put into diet and exercise is paying off. And while you're going through your paces on the treadmill, consider another part of you that might need a bit of improvement: your smile and whether or not you have white teeth.

    With age, one of the first things to go is the freshness of your smile. At about thirty, tooth color begins to dim. There is a natural tendency for dentin, just beneath the enamel, to yellow. And if you smoke or overindulge in coffee or cola, the darkening can be dramatic. Exercise and low-fat foods count for less if your smile gives you away.

    But just as our health habits have improved, so has cosmetic dental technology. Now we have the tools and teeth whitening products to perfect the color, and the healthful look, of your teeth.

    Teeth whitening systems take many forms. There are gels and solutions accelerated by light; laser tooth whitening is coming into use to "jump-start" the tooth whitening process. We can change color fast or over time.

    In any case, the result is visible in days and, with touch-ups, will last as long as you do.

    You've lived this long, you've earned it. While perfect thighs are next to impossible, a pretty smile is within everyone's reach. Go for it; don't let your smile age faster than the rest of you.

  • All that exercise and healthy diet is paying off. You're in good shape and maintaining your weight. Now, while you're swimming or doing those push ups, think about a part of you that gets exercised but is still aging every day -- your smile! It's time for you to think about tooth bleaching and tooth whitening systems.

    At about age thirty, there's a natural dimming of dentin beneath your tooth enamel. If you smoke or drink coffee or colas, all the exercise and low-fat foods can't hide the yellowing effect. Your smile will give your age away.

    Fortunately, we live in a time of advanced cosmetic dental technology, with new and improved tooth whitening and teeth bleaching techniques. And unlike building muscle, teeth whiteners can give you white teeth almost overnight.

    There are also choices among tooth bleaching systems. New tooth whitener gels and solutions are accelerated by light; laser technology is new and very effective. Teeth whitening systems can give you white teeth fast in your dentist's office, or over time at home, at your convenience.

    Either way, your teeth will whiten like magic, and you'll have a fresher, younger smile.

    Tooth whitener can get you the smile you've always wanted.

  • Advanced dental techniques now provide consumers with exciting, new options for enhancing their smiles. Revolutionary methods are now available for tooth bleaching to make smiles sparkle!

    Teeth bleaching or whitening lightens the color of teeth whether darkened from age, coffee, tea or tobacco. The brightening effects of teeth whiteners can last up to five years after the treatment depending on your personal habits, such as smoking or drinking coffee or tea.

    Is Tooth Whitening Right for You?

    Teeth bleaching has a higher than 90% success rate. It is tough on stains but gentle on your teeth! Results vary depending on several factors such as teeth stained from smoking; from taking certain medications such as tetracycline during tooth development; or from fluorosis, a condition occurring in the presence of too much fluoride.

    A tooth whitener will not lighten fillings or artificial materials used in dental repair such as crowns, porcelain veneers, etc. Your dentist may discourage treatment if you have sensitive teeth, periodontal disease, teeth with worn enamel or if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.

    Tooth Bleaching - Several Options Available

    Some tooth whitening treatments are performed in the dental office using an in-office bleaching system, such as laser bleaching. This method lightens teeth instantly. The same results may be obtained more economically through dentist-supervised at-home tooth bleaching, but take longer to achieve. Some teeth whitening systems, which bleach your teeth while you sleep, work in 10 to 14 days (or more accurately nights)! Others bleach your teeth from two to four hours a day requiring three to six weeks to complete.

    It's important to know that certain types of stains respond better to different types of whitening materials. In such cases, your dentist may recommend one tooth whitener method over the other.

    Teeth Bleaching - The Steps to Bright, White Teeth

    Your dentist will first examine your teeth and gums and discuss the procedure best suited to your individual needs. Any cavities or gum disease problems must be treated before teeth bleaching can begin.

    The in-office method generally takes one to three hours and results in an immediate noticeable change.

    For the at-home method, special molds will be made of your teeth. These will be used to make custom-fitted flexible trays that will hold the bleaching gel comfortably in your mouth.

    When you get your tooth bleaching trays, you'll receive instructions about wearing them. These directions must be carefully followed. Only the materials provided by the tooth whitening dentist can be safely used.

    After completing the treatment, your teeth will be checked by your dental provider to discuss the results.

    Smile. Your new white teeth will radiate a bright look!

    Safety

    Research over the last five years has proven that teeth bleaching is both safe and effective. The American Dental Association's seal of approval has been given to a wide range of tooth whitener products. Generally, the only side effect from treatment may be some sensitivity to hot and cold foods. If this occurs, sensitivity normally disappears within 48 hours.

    By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO

  • From unusual ointments to hydrogen peroxide injections (yikes!), people have sought the secret to longevity for decades. Now, more than ever, people are willing to go to extremes to retain their youthful looks. While many of these strategies are risky or downright unsafe, there is one relatively simple way turn back the years: teeth whitening. Sure, whitening your teeth may not help you live longer, but it can restore your smile, rolling back years of coffee and other stains. While there are a variety of professional tooth whitening and bleaching methods available today, most of them are safe and relatively effective. Those carried out under the supervision of a dentist will ensure maximum results and optimum safety! Here are a few of your options.

    Teeth Whitening Toothpastes

    While using a tooth bleaching toothpaste may be the easiest, most affordable way to brighten your smile, it isn't ideal for those searching for a significant improvement. Some produce marginal improvement, while others produce none at all. They are relatively safe, but be sure to contact our office if you find your teeth are more sensitive than usual. Some lightening chemicals can actually erode tooth enamel, damaging your teeth.

    Over-the-Counter Tooth Whitening and Bleaching Agents, Strips

    Whitening agents and strips are more popular than ever before, and vary dramatically in price and effectiveness. While most are generally safe, it's important to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. As with whitening toothpastes, some agents and whitening strips can be too harsh, damaging your teeth and increasing their sensitivity.

    Dentist-Managed Teeth Bleaching Trays

    One of the safest, most effective ways to whiten your teeth is through dentist-managed tooth bleaching trays and whitening agents. If you choose to go this route, your dentist will begin by taking a mold of your mouth to design a plastic tray that will fit snug against your teeth. You'll spread tooth whitening gel through the tray, slip it over your teeth, and let it do its job! Continue to do this over a course of a few days to acquire the results you were looking for. Once again, please report any sensitivity to your dentist.

    Chair-Side Teeth Whitening

    Also one of the safest, most effective whitening techniques, chair-side whitening is chemical teeth bleaching done by your dentist, in-office, in about an hour or so. There are a variety of options available today - your dentist can steer you in the right direction. While chair-side professional tooth whitening and bleaching can be a bit more expensive than other alternatives, it's done under the supervision of a professional and delivers fast results.

  • How would you feel if your smile was a bit brighter than it is right now? Whiter teeth not only look sensational, they build the kind of inner confidence that really gives a smile its electricity. And you might be surprised what simple, affordable teeth whitening systems are available these days.

    You may have seen TV advertising for toothpastes that whiten your teeth. The results can't match what a dentist can do for you. Professional tooth whitening products used by your dentist effectively lighten brown and yellow enamel discoloration caused by smoking, cola, coffee or tea, and sometimes by childhood antibiotics use. A special gel is placed inside a custom-made tray that covers your teeth. The process takes place under a dentist's supervision to insure that it's safe for your teeth and gums.

    The best candidates for professional teeth whitening are people with otherwise healthy teeth, minimal enamel loss, and stains that are on the surface of their teeth (from coffee, for instance) rather than inside.

    Typically, improvement is seen in the first few days but maximum results occur when the process is continued for 10 to 14 days. Some patients may choose to return for periodic touch-ups to maintain their pretty smile.

    If the color of your teeth concerns you, professional teeth bleaching may be the answer. Call your dentist and schedule a personal consultation.

  • How would you feel if your smile was a bit brighter than it is right now? White teeth not only look sensational, but they build the kind of inner confidence that really gives a smile its electricity. You might be surprised at what simple, affordable professional teeth whitening, teeth bleaching and other cosmetic treatments can offer to do just that and which are available today.

    You may have seen advertising for tooth whitening toothpastes. However, the results of those teeth whiteners can’t match the results we can give to you with our professional teeth whitening. Our tooth whitener effectively lightens brown and yellow enamel discoloration. We use a special gel inside a custom-made tray that covers your teeth.

  • Since the beginning of time, people have battled the effects of aging in order to look and feel younger. History has repeatedly shown us that people will journey to the far ends of the earth for ways to improve and maintain a youthful appearance - whether it is in search of the fountain of youth or to find a plastic surgeon or cosmetic dentist to surgically enhance their facial structures. Plastic surgeons have been instrumental in making facelifts and other related procedures more common to the mainstream population. As a result, a paradigm shift has occurred in how we view ourselves as we get older.

    Dentists can now use laser tooth whitening to whiten teeth.

    The shift has made the average person more knowledgeable of the link between lifestyle and appearance. Consequently, people are changing their habits, attitudes and preconceived perceptions of aging.

    More than ever, people are more willing to dedicate the resources necessary to find the balance between their image, spirituality and life choices. In response to the shift in people's thought processes, the medical community has developed newer and more predictable anti-aging techniques to slow the affect of aging on the human body.

    With a large segment of the population reaching the significant milestone of 50, the increase in appearance-enhancement therapies will continue to rise significantly in coming years.

    Everyone knows that if you want to cheat the aging process, the person you go to for help is a plastic surgeon. However, if you only consider a surgeon for help, you could leave out an integral part of the rejuvenation equation. Your laser tooth whitening dentist must be included in your quest for a youthful appearance because you will not maximize the benefits of your anti-aging procedures without a smile analysis.

    Your Smile Affects How Old You Look

    Laser tooth whitening dentistry procedures are like great paintings and sculptures. Your body is the canvas or clay, your face and bone structure are the frame, and at the center of the painting is your smile. In order to make masterpieces appear life-like, artisans must have an understanding of general anatomy and bone structure.

    Equating those concepts to aging, you can say that your youthful appearance is as dependent upon how much support you have for your soft tissues. The old adage "Beauty is only skin deep" does not apply to plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry. Time has a way of shrinking the underlying bone and teeth. If surgeons and cosmetic dentists do not restore what is lost, they will not be able to achieve a natural look.

    Using cheek and chin implants in conjunction with facelifts are just some of the ways surgeons restore facial support and beauty. Cosmetic dentists use laser tooth whitening, bonding and porcelain veneers to create a more youthful smile.

    By Benjamin O. Watkins, III, DDS

  • Stains on your teeth can advertise your vices – coffee, cola, nicotine – or tell the world what you do for a living. Trumpet players and copper miners, for instance, can be picked out of a crowd by the blue-green stains on their teeth from copper dust. Furriers work with nitric acid, which causes the blackening of enamel.

    Red teeth stains might show a history of typhus, cholera, pulp injury, or just beets for supper. And the color purple indicates a non-vital tooth or probably not – leprosy.

    Whatever the color of your teeth stain, our teeth whitening methods can whiten it, mask it, correct it, and give you back your pearly white teeth.

  • Do you wish that you had whiter teeth? Have you tried and been disappointed by the over-the-counter teeth whitening products, whitening toothpaste and those mail order kits? Well, here is a safe, easy, and successful way that you can REALLY whiten your teeth.

    Using a professional teeth whitening system, you can get dramatic results in a matter of days by teeth bleaching at home. Some products use a pH neutral formula that has been approved by the FDA. Interested? Questions?

    Q: What is tooth whitening?

    It is a whitening process that lightens the discolorations of enamel and dentin. The teeth whitening system uses a whitening gel that is retained in a custom-fitted appliance.

    Q: Is the process safe?

    Clinical research has shown that using a properly formulated professional tooth whitening gel under the supervision of a dentist is safe for teeth and gums.

    Q: How long does it take?

    Results are usually seen in the first several days. Maximum results generally occur when the process is continued for 10 to 14 days (or nights).

    Q: How long do the results last?

    The teeth will ALWAYS be lighter than they were. However, some patients may choose to touch-up periodically, one or two nights every six months. If you think that you might benefit from this tooth bleaching process, be sure to let your dentist know. He or she would be happy to assist in providing you with whiter teeth and a brighter smile!

  • If you require crowns to be placed, it is a good idea to evaluate how you feel about the color of your existing teeth before beginning the process. If you like the color of your teeth, the dentist will then match the crowns to that color. On the other hand, if you feel you would like to whiten or lighten your teeth, it is a good idea to communicate this to your dentist beforehand about tooth whitening. Once the final restorations are made, it will not be possible to change their color without redoing them.

    At-Home Teeth Bleaching

    If you desire whiter teeth before the crowns are placed, the best way to achieve this is to talk to your dentist about at-home teeth whitening. With this procedure, custom-fitted plastic trays will be made for your teeth and you will be given some small tubes of dental bleaching material. Your dentist will show you how to place a small amount of bleaching material in the tray and then place the tray in your mouth. The tray is then worn for one to two hours in the evening, depending on the type of material. The biggest advantage of this method of teeth whitening compared to procedures that are done in your dentist's office is, that you are the one who can control how white your teeth will be. Since you are the one in control, you can stop bleaching whenever you feel you have achieved the desired color. The typical bleaching time is one and one-half to two weeks, but it may be longer.

    Sensitivity to Tooth Bleaching

    Your teeth may become sensitive to cold air or liquids during the tooth bleaching process. This is normal and will subside and finally go away when you stop bleaching. There are a couple of things you can do to decrease this sensitivity if it arises during the tooth whitening process. One is to only bleach every other night. The other is to have your dentist prescribe for you a fluoride gel that you can place in your custom bleach trays every other evening. The fluoride acts to decrease the sensitivity by coating or sealing the tooth surface. It will not affect the color of your teeth. This is the most reliable way to decrease sensitivity while you bleach. Once you get your teeth to the desired color, your dentist will have you wait about three to four weeks before taking a color match of your new white teeth in order to make the final restoration. During this time, the color of your teeth will be stabilizing.

    Once the Restorations Are Placed, What Can You Expect?

    Teeth bleaching is a very predictable method for getting white teeth, but the results will not last forever. Since the restorations were placed when your teeth were at their whitest, you will most likely find that in one and a half to two years, the restorations may begin to appear lighter than your natural teeth. This result is to be expected. It is not caused by a change in color of the restorations, but rather by your own teeth getting darker. At this point, all that is required is to, once again, bleach your natural teeth until the color is evened out. Usually, this only requires bleaching a couple of times. After the color is evened out, you can then expect to have the color stability last for another one and a half to two years.

    By Greggory Kinzer, DDS, MSD

  • If you're embarrassed by your discolored teeth, you're not alone. There's a reason cosmetic dentistry, including teeth whitening, is a multibillion dollar industry. We all want brighter, whiter teeth. While it would be nice to get the smile you'd love naturally, that just isn't an option. So, who's to blame? Why are you struggling with tooth discoloration to begin with? Good news - it may not be your fault!

    Common Causes of Tooth Discoloration

    There are a number of causes of potential tooth discoloration, and some are completely unavoidable on your part. While the precise cause of your tooth discoloration may be difficult to peg down, chances are one or more of the following causes are to blame.

    Food and Drinks. You may have heard that coffee, tea and soda can stain your teeth, but did you know certain veggies, like potatoes and apples, can stain them as well?

    Tobacco. This is a given. Smoking and chewing will not only discolor your teeth, but can also cause gum disease or contribute to oral cancer (among other health conditions).

    Poor Dental Hygiene. If you don't want to give up your morning coffee or kick your smoking habit, then you're going to have to try to compensate with excellent dental care. Regular brushing and flossing can reduce the odds that you will stain your teeth. Regular check ups and cleanings are critical, too.

    Disease. Ahh… finally, we're discussing possible causes for tooth discoloration that aren't your fault. Several diseases that affect tooth enamel and dentin can lead to tooth discoloration. What's more, treatments for certain conditions, such as chemotherapy to fight cancer, can discolor your teeth. If you're pregnant while suffering from one of these ailments or undergoing one of these treatments, the teeth of your developing child may be affected as well.

    Medications. Certain antibiotics, such as tetracycline and doxycycline, can discolor your teeth, particularly if used before the age of 8. Mouth rinses and washes containing chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride can also stain teeth, while antihistamines (like Benadryl), antipsychotic drugs and antihypertensive medications also cause discoloration.

    Genetics. When all else fails, blame mom and dad.

    Age. Nothing escapes the affects of age - not even your teeth.

    Environment. Excessive fluoride from environmental sources, such as naturally high fluoride levels in the water, can contribute to discolored teeth.

    While there are many causes of tooth discoloration, today there are also many ways to get whiter teeth.

  • Tooth bleaching is a way to lighten teeth without bonding material to the teeth, or removing any sound tooth structure. In this respect, it's one of the most conservative cosmetic procedures. It's an "old" procedure, back in vogue.

    How does professional tooth whitening work?

    First, the tooth is isolated with a rubber dam. This protects your gums and tongue, too. Then the tooth is cleaned thoroughly. Your tooth may or may not be pre-conditioned to help the teeth whitening products penetrate.

    The tooth is covered with gauze, and the teeth bleaching solution is carefully applied. A heat source "cures" the bleach and hastens the process. These steps are repeated several times, depending on the appropriate level of whiteness you want to achieve. The color of adjacent teeth will be considered too, so you'll look natural (there is such a thing as too white).

    A professional tooth whitening session takes 30 to 45 minutes - and there you are. After three to five sessions, the tooth really shows the difference.

    Does professional tooth bleaching work for everyone?

    The success of the procedure depends in part on what caused the tooth staining in the first place. Surface coffee, tea, and tobacco stains that resist cleaning can be bleached away (the stains will reappear over time if you continue to indulge, of course). Antibiotic staining - from tetracycline, for example - is a bit harder to treat with simple teeth bleaching. Alternatively, a jacket or porcelain veneers may be called for. The idea is to be very selective about which tooth is a good candidate for the procedure.