Teeth Whitening
Dental Office in North Surrey, B.CTeeth whitening or bleaching is a simple, safe, non-invasive way to change the colour of your natural teeth enamel and is an ideal way to enhance the beauty of your smile. Having whiter teeth has become the number one aesthetic concern of many people and there are numerous ways to approach this. The most popular way is to use a home teeth-whitening system that will whiten teeth dramatically for most people. Since teeth whitening only works on natural tooth enamel, it is important to evaluate replacement of any old white fillings, crowns, etc. to match the newly bleached teeth. Teeth whitening is not permanent. A touch-up maybe needed every several years, and more often if you drink coffee, tea, or wine or if you smoke.
Reasons for teeth whitening:
- Fluorosis (excessive fluoridation during tooth development)
- Normal wear of outer tooth layer
- Stained teeth due to medications (tetracycline, etc.)
- Yellow, brown stained teeth
At our Cosmetic North Surrey dental clinic, we offer two types of aesthetic tooth whitening procedures:
Both whitening procedures are cost effective, safe, and quick.
Take Home Whitening Kit
This type of teeth whitening usually requires two visits:
- Impressions (molds) will be made of your teeth to make custom soft plastic trays after we decide that this is appropriate for you.
- You will try on the trays for proper fit, and adjustments will be made if necessary. The trays are worn with special whitening gel solution inside either twice a day for 30 minutes or overnight for a couple of weeks depending on the degree of staining and desired level of whitening. It is normal to experience tooth sensitivity during the time you are whitening your teeth, but it will subside shortly after you have stopped bleaching. You will receive care instructions for your teeth and trays, and be encouraged to visit your dentist regularly to help maintain a beautiful, healthy, white smile.
1 Hour In Office Whitening
While details may vary, a fairly standard routine is followed. Typically, the steps involved are not painful or uncomfortable; in fact, many patients doze or watch a DVD or TV during the procedure.
- A cheek retractor is inserted into the mouth, exposing all the “esthetic zone” teeth (teeth that are visible when you smile).
- A liquid rubber dam or hardening resin is painted onto the gum tissue to protect against any irritation caused by the bleaching gel.
- A bleaching gel containing hydrogen peroxide is applied to the esthetic zone teeth and kept on for approximately up to 30 minutes.
- The bleaching gel is suctioned or washed off, and fresh gel is applied for one or more additional periods of 10 minutes.
- Between gel applications, the teeth are checked to see how well they have whitened, and whether more bleach needs to be applied.
- After the final gel application, the cheek retractors are removed, the patient rinses and the immediate post-treatment shade change is measured. The teeth may whiten by as few as two to three shades or as many as eight. Part of the whitening effect is due to dehydration during the bleaching process, which makes the teeth look whiter than their true new color. That color will emerge after a couple of days.
If a satisfactory level of whitening hasn’t been achieved, your dentist may recommend follow-up in-office bleaching at a future date, and/or a regimen of take-home bleaching trays.
We offer a complimentary consultaion for Smile Enhancement and Dental Cosmetic Procedures.
Ready to Make a Change?
Call our dental office to book your appointment now