The duration that whitening will last depends on the whitening treatment chosen. If someone chooses to professionally whiten their teeth they can expect the results to last anywhere between one to three years. People, who take proper care of their teeth and avoid the common causes of tooth discoloration, like smoking and drinking coffee, are the ones who experience the longest-lasting results.
Before getting your teeth professionally whitened by a dentist, you should have a dental exam.
When you go to a dentist for professional teeth whitening, your dentist will want to perform an exam to determine the overall health of your teeth, gums, and mouth. This exam will allow them to identify and treat any underlying causes for the initial discoloration of your teeth as well as any problems with your teeth such as decay, cavities, gum disease, and other dental issues.
This pre-whitening dental exam will also allow your dentist to identify if you have any existing crowns, restorations, implants, or other restorative work that may require your dentist to work to change them to match the results of your whitening treatment for a pearly-white smile!
Treating these other issues will help to keep your mouth healthier and add to the success of your teeth whitening treatment. It will also make the maintenance and additional whitening treatments more effective when you need to “touch-up” your smile in the future.
How Professional Teeth Whitening Is Done
Professional teeth whitening delivers optimum results in a relatively short amount of time. Performed under the supervision of a dentist, this method of whitening has gained popularity among those who are dissatisfied with over-the-counter products.
There are several standard steps to performing an in-office whitening treatment:
- The dentist will make a record of the current shade of your teeth.
- Your teeth would then be polished with pumice, a grainy material used to remove any plaque on the surface.
- Your mouth will be isolated with gauze to keep your teeth dry. Retractors may be used to keep your cheeks, lips, and tongue well away from the whitening solution.
- A barrier would next be placed along the gumline to further protect it from exposure to the solution.
- Next, the teeth would be coated with a whitening solution.
- Once applied, the solution would be left on the teeth for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Once the optimum shade has been reached (or the maximum time has passed), the teeth will be rinsed. A fluoride application may be used to help ease any tooth sensitivity, which is a common side effect.
- Additional visits would be scheduled until the desired shade is reached.
At-Home Professional Whitening
If you don’t want to come into the office for your whitening you can get VerTrue, an at home professional teeth whitening solution.
For VerTrue, you will first need to go to the dentist so they can make impressions of your teeth to create molds for your custom whitening trays. The custom trays will have a tight yet comfortable fit, whereas normal over-the-counter trays tend to run big and loose, making them less effective.
You will then be sent the bleaching solution to use at home. All you need to do is place the solution in the custom trays and wear them for the recommended duration.
Contact us today to set-up your professional whitening treatment or ask your dentist the next time you’re at your regular appointment!
