Curious about how teeth whitening works? Discover the process behind brightening your smile as our dentists at Sydney River explain it. You've probably noticed movie stars and your friends achieving impressive results with teeth whitening, but let's delve into the procedure itself.
What is teeth whitening?
As we grow older, our teeth tend to darken naturally. This happens gradually and can be influenced by various lifestyle factors such as consuming dark drinks like tea, coffee, or alcohol, taking specific medications, smoking, and regular wear and tear due to years of use.
To restore the brightness of your teeth and minimize surface stains, professional teeth whitening treatments utilize bleaching agents containing peroxide. These agents work by breaking down and releasing oxygen, which acts on the tooth enamel and results in a whitening effect.
Professional Teeth Whitening at Our Office
Professional teeth whitening at the dental office is a popular treatment because it can be completed in just one or two sessions. Here's what you can expect during the treatment:
- The dentist will place a rubber shield over your gums to protect them.
- They will apply the bleaching solution to your teeth using a small brush.
- The solution will stay on your teeth for 15 minutes under a low-heat lamp.
- Your hygienist will remove the solution and repeat the application process.
- The entire process usually takes around 1 to 2 hours.
- Depending on your specific case, you may need additional treatments to achieve your desired level of whitening.
Professional Teeth Whitening At Home
We are looking for ways to whiten your teeth? Online, you'll find various at-home teeth whitening options. However, they are not as strong or effective as the teeth whitening kits available at our dental office.
Our teeth whitening solutions include custom whitening trays and detailed instructions for whitening your teeth conveniently at home. You'll have the added benefit of your dentist supervising the process, and the cost may be lower compared to the in-office solution.
To get started, you'll need to visit the dentist to create custom whitening trays that fit your teeth perfectly. These trays will be used at home to apply the whitening solution yourself.
Once the trays are ready, you'll return to the dentist to ensure they fit well. Then, you'll be provided with the trays, the whitening solution, and clear instructions.
At home, wear the trays for approximately 30 minutes daily for around 2 weeks until you achieve your desired level of whiteness. After that, you can use the whitening solution for touch-ups every 6 months or so to maintain your bright smile.