Teeth whitening can last for up to 3 years with proper maintenance
Dr. Bobbio will examine your teeth to rule out oral health problems and assess the severity of your tooth discoloration.
Based on how sensitive and discolored your teeth are as well as your personal goals, Dr. Bobbio will make a recommendation for which type of whitening is best for you.
We will always protect your soft tissues from being exposed to the whitening agent before applying any chemicals to your teeth. In the office, this is done with a cheek retractor that holds your mouth open and a gel that prevents the peroxide from coming into contact. At home, you will have custom-made trays that prevent the chemicals from running into your gums.
Now, it’s time to apply the whitening agent. We paint this onto your teeth in the office and then expose it to UV light. This is rinsed off after an hour.At home, the whitening agent will be applied to your trays, which you will wear over your teeth.
Once your teeth are whitened, you should maintain your shade by avoiding staining habits like tobacco products and certain foods and drinks. Get your teeth cleaned every 6 months to remove stain and plaque buildup.
A take-home whitening treatment can be carried out from the comfort of your own home. However, you will need to come to the office for a quick appointment first so we can take impressions of your teeth.
This is what the mold of your whitening trays will be based on. Once they have been fabricated by the dental lab that we send them to, you will wear them for the specified amount of time each day for up to 2 weeks. You’ll follow the written instructions on how to apply the whitening treatment and how long to wear it for.
The whitening treatment that is performed in the dental office is more drastic and immediate. However, it is more intense so it is not as suitable for patients with sensitive teeth. The whitening agent is applied to the teeth directly and activated with a UV light.
This is kept on for about an hour before washing it out to reveal the results. We take precautions to protect your gums, lips, and other soft tissues with a cheek retractor and protective gel.
By the end of this appointment, your teeth can be up to 10 shades lighter than what you started with. For most people, this is sufficient but if you have severe discoloration, it may take a few sessions to achieve the desired results.
When teeth are whitened with the use of UV light, this means that UV radiation is being used to activate the ingredients in the whitening agent which are either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide.
Why UV light? It acts as a catalyst that speeds up the reaction which causes your teeth to whiten faster. UV light cannot whiten your teeth in isolation. It is the active ingredients in the gel that are bleaching your teeth. UV light is just a tool that aids in speeding up the process.
Chemical teeth whitening is the process of whitening teeth with chemical-based products alone. These products are not light-activated, which means they will take longer to produce the same results.
Our take-home treatment is a chemical whitening treatment which is why it takes up to 2 weeks to achieve your final results. The concentration of peroxide is lower than in light-activated treatments.
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