Teeth Whitening

Cosmetic Dentistry

•	Bonding
•	Teeth Whitening
•	Porcelain Veneers
•	Implants

Whitening your teeth is one of the easiest and fastest ways to make a large impact on the look of your teeth. Whitening your teeth can help you appear healthier, cleaner, and even younger. We can help you have the look you want with either in-office treatments or prescribed take home kits. Our team at Excellent Dental Specialists can answer your questions and help you decide what is the best option for you.

Why do I need to whiten my teeth?

Our teeth are being used multiple times a day, every day. We are constantly subjecting them to the bacteria around us, in addition to foods and drinks that stain. Though we brush multiple times a day, eventually our teeth begin to show their wear. Whitening your teeth shouldn’t be classified as just a cosmetic treatment but as part of your hygiene routine. If patients consider whitening their teeth just once a year, they would see a significant improvement in the look of their teeth.

Some of the most common causes of teeth staining includes:

•	Staining Foods: There are multiple food items that we eat that cause staining on our teeth. Some of the most common staining foods include all berries, foods that are citric or acidic and a variety of sauces including tomato based and soy sauces.
•	Staining Drinks: There are some commonly used drinks that are prime stain causing drinks due to their tannic acid, this includes coffee, tea, soda, and red wines.
•	Normal Wear: With time, our teeth just begin to show their age, looking dingy and used. This is why whiter teeth are associated with appearing younger, and why many patients feel that they look younger after treatment.

An image of a woman's smile with half her mouth with dingy teeth, and the other half after cosmetic whitening

Store Bought Whitening Kits

There are a variety of store bought whitening kits. They range vastly in price, style, and use. All whitening kits, both those used under a dentist’s care or from a store-bought kit, use peroxide to whiten your teeth. When bought in a store, the kits are regulated to only allow a small percentage of peroxide, under 5%. So, yes, store bought kits will work, but the effects may take longer to achieve, requiring your attention for longer periods of time, and the end result will be limited.

In-Office Whitening vs. Take Home Kits

At Excellent Dental Specialists, we offer both in-office whitening and prescribed take home kits.

In-Office
In=office, we can complete your teeth whitening procedure in about one hour. Under the care of one of our dentists, we can use a much higher percentage of peroxide, anywhere from 15% to 43% depending on your needs, giving you fast results. Of all of your options, in-office whitening is the most expensive, but with the least amount of hassle and gives instantaneous results.

At-Home Prescribed
At-home kits can be prescribed by one of our dentists at Excellent Dental Specialists. We can customize plastic trays to fit your mouth, and prescribe the correct dosage of peroxide for your needs. With home kits, the peroxide levels tend to be within 3% and 20%. We are happy to discuss this treatment with you.

After Whitening

Following your whitening treatment, we will caution the patient to handle their teeth with care for the next few days. Your teeth are subject to increased staining immediately following treatment. To help, we will caution you to avoid the foods and drinks that are most likely to cause staining.

Your whitening treatment is not permanent, though we have removed current stains, you will receive new ones from regular use. We recommend whitening touch ups yearly.

Content retrieved from: https://www.excellentdentalspecialists.com/p/Teeth-Whitening-p19652.asp.html.