Teeth whitening is an effective and easy way for almost anyone to achieve a more beautiful and brighter smile. Dr. Rick Lane can help you achieve the results of professional whitening on your schedule, in the comfort of your own home.
Take Home Teeth Whitening
This method involves Dr. Lane using a model of your teeth to create a custom-fitting tray that can be worn inconspicuously during the day or night. Bleaching gel is put in the tray and, after soaking into your teeth for a period of time, causes your teeth to become brighter and whiter.
He uses Nite-White products, which are considered by many cosmetic dentists to be the most effective. Most patients wear the bleaching tray at night with the Nite-White in it, and then remove it in the morning. Wearing it nightly for two weeks can give dramatic whitening. If you prefer, you can wear the trays during the day. The gel needs to be able to soak into your teeth for at least 20 minutes to have a significant bleaching effect.
Dr. Lane will monitor your results, and you can keep the trays to use for future touch-up treatments.
Frequent Questions About Teeth Whitening
How white will it get my teeth?
The degree of whiteness you get depends on how long you use the Nite-White. If you use it for the recommended two weeks or even longer, most accumulated stains will be bleached out and even the natural pigment of your teeth will be whitened. Most patients find their teeth to become whiter than they ever have been before.
Will my teeth be permanently whiter?
Much like bleaching a shirt, the original color and old stain are gone forever. However, you will continue to encounter highly pigmented foods and other things in your environment that will tend to discolor your teeth. For that reason we recommend annual touch-up treatments. Save your trays, and we can get you touch-up gel periodically.
What if I have fillings or crowns on some of my front teeth?
Fillings and crowns will not bleach. For a final result, old dental work will have to be replaced.
Are there any risks of damaging my teeth with teeth whitening?
There can be a risk of irritating the tooth to much if there are open cavities or leaky fillings. This is why dentist supervision is important to this process. Dr. Lane wants to do a quick check of your teeth before starting whitening to make sure there are none of these problem areas.
Comparisons with Other Whitening Systems
Over-the-Counter Whitening
There are many advertisements for over-the-counter products that promise whiter teeth. The toothpaste counter is filled with products like this. These toothpastes may remove stains from the surface of teeth, but they are not on the teeth long enough to soak into them and actually whiten your teeth. Some of the other tooth whitening products provide bleaching trays. However, because they are used without dental supervision, the concentration of the peroxide in them is quite weak, thus, products like these will whiten poorly, if at all. If you have tried products similar to these, don’t be discouraged. Your teeth can be whiter. The gels Dr. Lane uses are strong and yield significant results.
Zoom Whitening
Many dental offices have a laser-bleaching light and other equipment available to do bleaching treatments such as Brite Smile and Zoom. While these techniques are faster, the at-home tooth whitening treatments are simpler, more convenient, less expensive, and equally as effective. In-office treatments also have a higher incidence of tooth sensitivity.
There is also an element of deception in how they work, particularly when they incorporate the use of a bleaching light. The light will dry out the teeth, giving them a false sense of whiteness at the end of the appointment. This whiteness will fade over the first couple of days as the tooth re-hydrates. To be fully effective, in-office whitening should be supplemented with a take-home tray. This is why Dr. Lane uses only the take-home trays.
If you are interested in whiter teeth, give us a call. Or you may visit our request an appointment page and have us call you.