Everyone loves a bright, white smile. Today there are a variety of products and procedures available to help you improve the color of your teeth. Some whitening procedures are done in our office with one visit. Other whitening agents can even be purchased over-the-counter. However, over-the-counter whitening agents will not whiten your teeth as quickly or as effectively as those delivered by a dentist.
Soft transparent trays are filled with whitening gel which are worn over the teeth. Within the first treatment you should notice results that will continue to improve with additional use.
What sort of results can you expect?
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 (out of a total of 16). 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, Dr. Gilmore may recommend follow-up in-office bleaching at a future date, and/or a regimen of take-home bleaching trays.
Results can be unpredictable, depending on factors such as age, heredity and the type of staining that is present.
Are the results permanent?
In-office bleaching is not a permanent solution. Depending on your diet and oral hygiene practices, stains begin developing after the whitening procedure is complete. We recommend home maintenance follow-up that can keep your teeth looking whiter for a longer period of time.
