Cosmetic teeth whitening has become increasingly popular over the years, providing people with bright and radiant smiles. Our dentists and dental hygienists utilize a powerful peroxide-based bleaching agent that will brighten your teeth between four to eight shades. Our staff works with you during your dental exam to find the ideal shade you are looking for and create a customized whitening agent to help get you there. This procedure works ideally for those who have stains from coffee, red wine, tobacco, or other food and beverages.A whitening agent will not work on teeth that have been restored, such as teeth bonding and dental implants or crowns, nor will they work on teeth that have stains that impact the entire enamel, such as tooth decay, trauma, or from tetracycline. It is important to scale your expectations depending on how your teeth were stained. Our staff at Orland Dental Care can help determine if you are eligible for a professional teeth whitening procedure.
Professional At Home Kit
Our offices offer you two options for professional teeth whitening: in-office or at-home kits. In-office whitening allows us to complete the procedure in one dental visit. This is a preferred method for many who are looking to get instant results with their teeth bleaching. However, some patients prefer at-home kits for their convenience or prefer to have a slow-processed tooth bleaching.
If you prefer a home kit, our office will first have to examine your teeth during an exam. Our priority when examining your teeth is to ensure they respond with the teeth bleaching agents. In cases of severe damage to your tooth enamel, you may be deemed ineligible. If your teeth respond to the teeth bleaching agent, we will make an impression of your teeth. This is used to create a custom-made whitening tray that will keep the bleaching agent from touching your gums, tongue, lips, or roof of your mouth. We will give you instructions, often written to take home with you, and a custom bleaching agent. This bleaching agent will usually be applied daily for about an hour and will need to be done for several weeks to complete the whitening process.
Teeth Whitening In-Office
If you prefer to have your teeth whitened in our office, we will first examine your teeth. We will identify anything that may cause irritation or hinder your results during your teeth whitening procedure. If you are suffering from a cavity or decay, this will first need to be managed before the teeth whitening procedure. Our dental hygienist will remove any plaque or tartar from the teeth, as a bleaching agent will be unable to penetrate through it.
Next, a cheek retractor is placed comfortably in your mouth. This prevents the bleaching agent from getting anywhere on the soft tissue of your mouth and keeps your mouth open throughout the procedure. We will then take extra precautions for your gums, placing a protective gel and rubber dental dam over them to protect them. Our staff will apply the bleaching agent on your teeth, where it is left for 15-20 minutes before removing it. We will evaluate the results and continue to reapply the bleaching agent until it reaches your personal desired shade of whiteness. A laser light might be used to further enhance the whitening during this stage, so you need fewer treatments applied.
After your whitening procedure is done, our team will evaluate the results and determine whether you will need an at-home whitening kit to aid your treatment. This is recommended in very few cases and cannot be determined until after the whitening treatment is finished.
If you are seeking a professional whitening treatment with one of our professionals, contact our Orland Dental Care office today at 872-266-2207 to schedule your appointment.