Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is one of the easiest, fastest, and least expensive ways to improve the cosmetic appeal of your smile. White teeth say a lot about you – a brighter smile can make a person look healthier, more vibrant, and instill a sense of confidence. A fresh smile also presents you as someone who takes good care of themselves and are willing to go the extra mile. There are two main types of teeth whitening – over-the-counter products, and professional whitening. Over-the-counter products come in the form of whitening kits, strips, and pens. While they are similar in many ways, there are some important differences between professional teeth whitening and over-the-counter products.

How Teeth Whitening Works

Teeth whitening products remove stains through either mechanical or chemical means. Whitening toothpastes often contain abrasives that mechanically scrub stains from the surface of teeth, for example. Teeth whitening chemicals contain hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide, in which oxygen molecules weaken stains on a molecular level. 

Over-the-counter teeth whiteners come in a variety of forms, such as:

• Strips
• Toothpastes
• LED devices
• Pens or gels

Both over-the-counter and professional teeth whitening use peroxide. The main difference is that dentists have access to professional-grade products, which have a much higher concentration than that available in over-the-counter products. Dentists also have access to advanced technology, such as LED lamps that accelerate the action of peroxide to whiten teeth.

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Your Dentist, Dr. Somaiya in Bellbrook Discusses the Benefits of In-office Teeth Whitening

Professional teeth whitening provides a number of benefits over the whitening kits, strips, or toothpastes you purchase from a store.

In-office whitening provides same-day results

Over-the-counter whitening products take weeks or months to whiten your teeth. Professional teeth whitening provides instant results – people can admire your noticeably whiter smile the moment you walk out our door!

Professional teeth whitening provides even results

Whitening products only work on natural tooth enamel; they do not change the color of dental crowns, caps, dental implants, fillings and other types of dental work. If you use over-the-counter whitening products on any of the dental work on your front teeth, you may end up with noticeable spots where the products whitened your natural enamel but left your dental work untouched.

Our dentist, Dr. Somiaya, has special training and expertise in whitening your teeth as much as possible while providing even, consistent results that look great. 

Effectiveness

In-office teeth whitening can get your teeth up to 8 shades whiter. This is because dentists use whitening solutions with stronger concentrations of peroxide. 

Less risk of sensitivity

Teeth whitening can cause sensitivity, especially if you use an over-the-counter teeth whitener too often or leave it on too long. While most dentists use stronger chemicals to whiten your teeth, they also have the tools and know-how to prevent excess sensitivity after teeth whitening. 

Cost effectiveness

While professional teeth whitening seems expensive at first glance, it is actually cost effective. On average, teeth whitening cost about $650, but it provides noticeable results that last for 6 months to 3 years. The results from over-the-counter products, on the other hand, are usually not as noticeable, take longer to achieve, and last for only a few weeks or months. What’s more, over-the-counter products can be expensive, so you may end up paying much more for less desirable results.

The entire procedure takes about 90 minutes; whitening process takes about 45 minutes and the rest is prep time. We usually break it up into three 15-minute sessions, and apply more whitening gel in between sessions. You can relax or listen to music between sessions. 

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There is no recovery period, so you can resume your normal activities right away. We may send you home with a professional teeth-whitening tray to help keep your teeth white between in-office visits to our Bellbrook dental office.