The thought of having a gleaming, whiter set of teeth excites you, doesn’t it? Before you head off to the dentist to begin that teeth whitening treatment, let us first walk you through the process and allow us to show you what to expect.

Your dentist can recommend two processes for you, the in-office and the at-home teeth whitening method. While the latter is relatively cheaper and uses basically the same solution, having an in-office method can guarantee you of an even, full result and the dentist can avoid sensitivities on your gums. In-office teeth whitening uses carbamide peroxide with 15 hydrogen peroxide concentration which can make results seen more rapidly as compared with at-home methods that has only 3 hydrogen peroxide concentration. In both cases, the carbamide peroxide penetrates the enamel and oxidizes the stains. Over time, the dentin layer or that layer that lies underneath the enamel is also bleached. The effect of in-office dental bleaching may last for several months depending on your lifestyle. Smoking tobacco and the frequent intake of dark colored drinks such as coffee, tea and red wine are factors that cause the decrease of teeth whitening.

The type of discoloration shall be considered in the whole process, as well. Brown discolorations respond well to bleaching while white discolorations don’t. The latter only lightens and becomes less noticeable with the treatment. Sometimes, abrasion techniques or bonded restorations may be used to address it, too.

The whole in-office teeth whitening process may take 3 to 6 weeks for the teeth to lighten. For nicotine stained teeth, it may take up to 1 to 3 months. For tetracycline stained teeth or that very dark brown discoloration caused by that very strong antibiotics, it may take 2 to 6 months treatment. Note that increasing the peroxide concentration will not hasten the whole whitening process as the teeth can only whiten so much over time.

Some teeth whitening brands like BriteSmile, Zoom!, Laser Smile and Lumacool has specific protocols which may include the use of lasers or light. Although the effect of bleaching light to this date on whether it can make the discoloration lighter at a faster rate is still undocumented the ADA only notes that there is indeed an immediate difference but this is only due to teeth dehydration. There are some brands that do not require the use of bleaching light. Studies were done to compare the results of teeth whitening system that uses bleaching light against those that do not and the results showed that in both systems the teeth of the subjects have lightened equally well.

To reduce sensitivity, your dentist may soak the tray in potassium nitrate for about 10-30 minutes before application. By scheduling the treatments at least a week apart can also help ease up the sensitivity. Using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications prior to treatment may also help reduce the sensitivity of your gums to teeth whitening solutions.

To this date, teeth whitening systems rely on both commercial and clinical tests results for the established standards in procedure and safety. The ADA highly recommends that one visits the dentist first to consult on the appropriate method to use.

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