Many patients think that the answer to having a beautiful white smile is through various cosmetic dentistry procedures such as veneers, crowns and bridges. While these are great restorative options, many patients do not realize that one of the least invasive, most effective ways to achieve a brighter smile is through professional in-office whitening.

Over time, our teeth pick up extrinsic stains from various highly-colored foods and drinks, such as coffee, tea, red wine, tea, tomato-based foods, and more. Teeth can also darken over time due to age or various medications and antibiotics. Whitening is one of the simplest solutions to resolving many of these stains, and is therefore why whitening one of the first options we like to offer patients who are seeking cosmetic dentistry. There are many benefits to in-office professional whitening, some of which we discuss here.

BENEFIT #1: IMMEDIATE, LONG-LASTING RESULTS

In-office whitening provides amazing results in just one hour. The procedure is completely painless and relaxing—in fact, we encourage patients to enjoy a book or to listen to music during the procedure. Over the years, our office has tried several different whitening systems, however we have found that our current system which we have been using for the last few years has been resulting in completely absent or extremely minimal levels of sensitivity, with the longest lasting results.

BENEFIT #2: PROTECTION OF THE GUMS  

At-home over the counter whitening options purchased at the local pharmacy may seem tempting due to the low sticker price. However, make sure you know the risks of at-home whitening before you consider this option. At-home whitening kits often present as rectangular strips that cover both your teeth and your gums, with absolutely no protection of the gums. In reality, however, this often causes whitening of both the teeth and the gums, causing extra sensitivity and unnaturally white appearance of the gums. In contrast, whitening done under the supervision of a cosmetic dentist allows full control over the protection of the gums, so that the whitening solution is applied only to the teeth themselves. This protection alone greatly diminishes overall sensitivity experienced by the patient, and results in much better esthetic outcomes.

BENEFIT #3: CONTROLLED APPLICATION

Professional whitening done under the supervision of a dentist is performed with full control, making sure that the solution is administered in specific quantities to address various cosmetic issues. Often times, each tooth has unique characteristics and colorization that may be different from the neighboring tooth, causing each tooth to require specific amounts of the bleaching solution in specific areas. As a form of cosmetic dentistry, whitening therefore achieves the best results when applied in intentionally specific patterns on each tooth to achieve most even results on the final smile.

These are only some of the benefits patients can gain from in-office professional whitening. As one of the least invasive options offered to improve your smile in cosmetic dentistry, it is a procedure we love offering to patients. To find out if you are a good candidate for this cosmetic procedure, call our office to schedule an appointment.