Teeth Whitening
Interested in a whiter, brighter smile? Schedule a consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists in Grandville, MI, to learn if you’re a candidate for teeth whitening. Professional teeth whitening is performed under the care of one of our dentists and may be done in our office or at home. By whitening the outer layer of teeth (enamel), we’re able to help patients smile with confidence.
Here’s what else you need to know.
What are the Benefits of Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is a fast and relatively inexpensive way to improve the appearance of your smile and overall facial esthetics. Research has also shown that a whiter smile is linked to higher confidence and self-perception. Professional teeth whitening is a safe and effective way to achieve a whiter smile.
What Are My Options for Bleaching?
Our teeth whitening dentists offer patients two great options:
Custom At-Home Bleaching Trays
After taking impressions of the patient’s teeth, we fabricate custom-made clear trays for the patient to use at home. An optimal outcome is usually achieved within two weeks when using the trays daily as directed.
We demonstrate the proper way to use the tray with the special whitening gel. Since the trays are custom-made, the whitening gel gets evenly dispersed over the teeth and in between teeth for an even whitening outcome.
This is also less messy than over-the-counter whitening strips, as the custom trays are able to restrict the flow of the gel so it stays on the teeth and does not flow onto the gums where irritation could otherwise result.
We offer two options for whitening trays:
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Philips DayWhite™
Phillips DayWhite™ has a 14% hydrogen peroxide whitening agent that is worn during the day for either a single 30-minute application or two 15-minute applications. Hydrogen peroxide as a whitening agent works faster than other alternatives, allowing it to be worn for less time per application. This is the most common application for custom trays and works exceptionally well for most patients.
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Philips NiteWhite™
Philips NiteWhite™ has a 16% carbamide peroxide whitening agent that is worn overnight. Carbamide peroxide as a whitening agent works slower than hydrogen peroxide, allowing it to be worn for more extended periods of time. Certain shades of discoloration have been shown to respond better to these longer applications with carbamide peroxide.
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ZOOM!™ Professional In-Office Bleaching
allows a patient to see an improvement of up to eight shades whiter in just one 2 hour appointment. For this procedure, our professional clinical staff will apply the Zoom!™ whitening gel directly to the patient’s teeth. They use a special technique to block out the gums so that only the teeth receive the gel. Then, the gel is activated by the Philips WhiteSpeed™ blue LED light.
These techniques allow for us to use stronger concentrations of whitening agents than what can be used in trays at home. The gel and process is completely safe and dramatic results are seen in just one visit.
Even though this treatment option is done in a single visit, we’ll still fabricate for the patient to use for any future touch-up procedures.
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
To answer this question, it’s important to understand the difference between the two :
Extrinsic Discoloration
This type of discoloration is caused from foods, beverages, and habits like smoking or drinking coffee. These stains adhere to the outside of the teeth. This type of discoloration is removed during routine dental cleanings. Some whitening toothpastes may remove some of these stains as well as slow new stains from adhering to the teeth. These toothpastes work through the use of abrasive agents to remove the surface stains.
Intrinsic Discoloration
This type of discoloration is present within the teeth. Intrinsic discoloration has been shown to naturally progress as we age, though there are a number of factors that can accelerate this process such as smoking, certain medications, childhood illness, or trauma.
Whitening toothpastes or rinses do not affect these types of stains because they are present deeper within the structure of the tooth. Generally, when we talk about teeth whitening, intrinsic discoloration is what we are looking to remove.
The two active ingredients used for the whitening of intrinsic stains are hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide, though they come in different formulations and concentrations depending on the method of delivery. These products work by penetrating the deeper layers of the tooth enamel.
Upon contact with a specific microscopic bond between carbon atoms within the enamel that is the cause of intrinsic staining, oxygen molecules will form which break these bonds and result in whiter enamel structure. This process is completely safe and will not harm enamel.
What About “Alternative” or DIY Home Bleaching Options?
We generally recommend avoiding for a few reasons. First, we have seen formulations that contain acidic ingredients. These can remove intrinsic discoloration and whiten teeth, but at the cost of stripping or eroding enamel.
Another approach which may whiten teeth temporarily uses abrasive ingredients. These sorts of techniques will remove extrinsic discoloration to whiten teeth temporarily, but also may cause irreversible damage to enamel with repeated use.
Finally, there are other techniques which simply aren’t effective. A common thought is that since hydrogen peroxide is a tooth whitening agent to just swish with a liquid hydrogen peroxide solution. This will work in theory, but liquid solutions are generally 3% hydrogen peroxide.
In order to equal a 30-minute application with 14% whitening gel, you would have to swish with liquid peroxide for over two hours, which is neither practical nor safe, as this would likely damage the soft tissues of the mouth.
Professional whitening is both safe and effective. Also, it is relatively inexpensive over time. Once our whitening patients have their trays, they will keep them for life. That way, the initial investment will last many years. If we later perform dental work such as crowns or fillings that affect the fit of a tray, we will make a new tray at no charge to the patient.
Are Teeth Whitening Results Permanent?
Unfortunately, no teeth whitening procedure is permanent. As we continue to eat, drink, and age, they will again develop both intrinsic and extrinsic discoloration. Everyone is different with how quickly their teeth will start to yellow or stain. This is where the advantage of professional whitening solutions lies.
Once you have your trays from your initial at-home or ZOOM!™ whitening, you can use these to touch-up periodically. How often you have to do this differs by the individual, but commonly patients will touch-up roughly every 6, 12, or 18 months.
To touch-up, you will not need to do the full initial teeth whitening procedure for two weeks. Rather a few applications are typically all that is required to return you to your desired shade.
Are There Any Reasons I Shouldn’t Whiten My Teeth?
There are a few patients who shouldn’t undergo professional teeth whitening. As a precaution, we recommend pregnant women or nursing mothers postpone any whitening procedures. We also recommend a minimum age of 14 for take-home whitening trays and 16 for ZOOM!™ whitening. We may also make individual recommendations depending on the patient’s unique circumstances.
It is important that the teeth and gums are in a healthy condition before attempting bleaching. Patients with active tooth decay or gum disease should have those issues addressed before whitening procedures. There are also certain types of stain or tooth discoloration that cannot be improved by whitening alone.
Are There Any Side Effects of Teeth Whitening?
Temporary tooth sensitivity is the most common side effect of whitening procedures. We have ways to decrease the level or longevity of sensitivity, such as through the use of desensitizing gels in the trays before or after whitening.
Another way to reduce sensitivity is by decreasing the frequency of use of the at-home trays. Instead of daily use, they can be used every other day. This will reach the same level of whitening as daily use, though it does take longer.
Using these and other desensitizing techniques, we have had great success controlling sensitivity even in patients with very sensitive teeth.
Call 44 West Dental Professionals
Our , are proud to serve Greater Grand Rapids. To schedule an appointment, please call 44 West Dental Professionals at (616) 530-2200. You may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.