Tooth Whitening
In-office treatment can brighten your teeth by six to ten shades. Using a special, light-activated whitening gel, this procedure is a quick and convenient way to achieve the smile you've always wanted.
Tooth whitening is a procedure that can lighten the shade of your teeth and remove stain or discoloration caused by aging, certain medications, tobacco, coffee, and tea. Tooth whitening will not last forever, so the procedure will have to be repeated on a regular basis.
Tooth whitening can be done at home or in the dental office. The dentist will often take a photo of your existing tooth color to monitor your progress and compare the new lighter shade of your teeth throughout treatment.
For at-home whitening, the dentist will take an impression of your teeth and then make custom mouthpieces (trays) to fit your teeth. The dentist will give you a supply of bleaching gel (usually containing hydrogen peroxide) that is applied to the tray and then you will be instructed to wear the tray for a certain amount of time. Care should be taken to use only the prescribed amount of whitening gel as excess material can contact your gums and cause irritation.
In-office whitening often takes between 30 to 90 minutes to complete and usually requires a few visits to the dentist's office to achieve the amount of whitening required. The whitening agent (again, a gel containing hydrogen peroxide) is applied to your teeth. Some of the in-office whitening agents require special lights or heat for activation.
Both in-home and in-office bleaching can cause increased tooth sensitivity in some people. This is a normal side effect and usually subsides a few days after the whitening treatments have been completed. Whitening procedures should be avoided if you are pregnant.
Tooth Whitening Makes your Smile Sparkle!
According to an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry national survey: 92% of people believe an attractive smile is an important social asset. 85% of people believe an unattractive smile makes a person less appealing to the opposite sex. 74% of people believe an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances for career success. 50% of people are not satisfied with the appearance of their own smile. If you are not happy with your smile, Tooth Whitening may provide the solution. Our procedures can help eliminate coffee-stained teeth, remove cigarette and tobacco discolorations and correct yellowing in teeth due to aging. Our technique works so well that we can whiten lighter than the whitest natural human shade. We have had even excellent success with whitening stains from fluorosis and tetracycline staining!
The following are two options for whitening your teeth
AT-HOME WHITENING involves custom-made bleaching trays, and syringes of our unique Bleaching Gel, and our unique Desensitizing Sticks. At-home tooth whitening involves two short office visits. The first one is for taking impressions for the custom-fabricated trays, and the second one to pick up the trays, gel and desensitizer. One needs to wear the gel-containing trays only for two or more hours per day for two weeks. The results of this alone are often dramatic. If the teeth are not white enough, this prepares the teeth for In-Office Whitening.
IN-OFFICE WHITENING is an hour appointment following the two-week At-Home Whitening. The procedure is more comfortable than other techniques because our special whitening gel has a lower concentration level of hydrogen peroxide. We can do this because the effectiveness of our gel is increased because of special compounds in the At-Home Whitening gel, which prepare the teeth to allow the In-Office Whitening gel to work more effectively at removing deep-set intrinsic stains. We complete the appointment by sealing the teeth to help further decrease sensitivity and future darkening of the teeth
The results are amazing and are easy and inexpensive to maintain! As infrequent as only every 2-6 months is a touch-up necessary to maintain your new bright smile by using the trays for At-Home Whitening gel for a few hours.
Dr Apreutesei has found through his years of experience whitening teeth, that to achieve our results with other In-Office techniques a patient would need to do this procedure approximately 3 times to achieve the same results at increased time, expense and sensitivity. Whitening is definitely the most cost effective way to have and maintain a white smile!
Professional Cleaning
Teeth cleaning is part of oral hygiene
Routine dental cleanings are the easiest and least expensive care requirement to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Studies have shown that unhealthy gum tissue leads to:
- Low Birth Weights in Infants
- Diabetes
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Decrease in Life Expectancy
The goal of routine cleanings is to remove all bacteria associated with plaque and tartar on the teeth. A specially trained Dental Hygienist will complete this treatment in our practice. We are proud to offer this level of care for our patients.