Teeth Whitening – Concord, NH
Professional Solutions In-Office and At Home!
At Generations Dental Care, the dentists want nothing more than to help you achieve optimal oral health for years to come. However, if you have good oral health, that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily satisfied with your smile. We’re glad that so many people have taken the initiative to care about their oral health. But now, more and more people have been coming to us to learn how they can begin a smile makeover. One of the fastest and easiest ways to start your cosmetic dental journey is through professional teeth whitening! Keep reading or give our office a call today to find out which solution would work best for you!
The Anatomy of Teeth and How Whitening Works
Teeth are made up of several layers of tooth enamel. The outermost layer is the thickest portion overall and is responsible for protecting the more vulnerable sections underneath, including the cementum and the pulp. Over time, this enamel layer can begin to wear down and erode, typically as a result of regular exposure to external stains. However, it can also wear down due to aging, making them appear dull or yellow in color.
When you eat or drink substances that are richly-pigmentated, these foods and beverages seep into the microcracks and crevices of tooth enamel and settle. Once they’ve settled inside enamel, they seep deeper and deeper into its porous structures, making them impossible to remove with simple brushing and flossing. This is where advanced bleaching solutions come into play.
Should You Choose Take-Home Whitening?
If you’d prefer to whiten at your own pace or you simply aren’t able to make time for a dental visit, take-home solutions allow you to whiten teeth on the go. Our office utilizes a digital impression system to create custom-made whitening trays that can be filled with Philips’ professional-grade bleaching gel. Once filled, simply wear the trays for a set period of time, then remove and rinse off any residual gel afterwards. By repeating this process daily for the next two weeks, you can achieve results that are comparable to in-office solutions!
Frequently Asked Questions on Teeth Whitening
How Do I Know if Teeth Whitening is Right for Me?
It doesn’t matter if you have external stains as a result of consuming richly-pigmentated substances and tobacco or intrinsic stains due to antibiotics. Our whitening treatments are designed to remove the toughest stains out there. During your consultation, we’ll closely examine your tooth enamel and determine which treatment would best suit your needs. With that said, people with yellow tones to their smile tend to respond the best to whitening treatment. If you have dental fillings, you may want to consider a different cosmetic procedure, such as direct bonding.
Does Over-the-Counter Whitening Really Work?
The problem with over-the-counter whitening products is while they can be effective for removing stains, they often don’t provide the same results as professional solutions for one key reason: they don’t contain the same strength of bleaching ingredients. For example, many stores cannot sell products containing 20% hydrogen peroxide, which is what we use for in-office whitening. Store-bought solutions only contain a fraction of that ingredient, making them less effective overall.
How Long Does Teeth Whitening Last?
The effects of teeth whitening vary from person to person, but in many cases it can last multiple years before needing retreatment. Keep in mind that your oral care routine, the food and beverages you consume, and the use of tobacco can all affect your whitening’s lifespan. The best way to maintain a white smile is through daily oral care, routine visits to our practice for professional cleanings, and maintaining a diet free of richly-pigmentated substances immediately following your teeth whitening.
Is Teeth Whitening Harmful?
With so many products on the shelves these days offering solutions for whitening teeth, it can be hard to know what’s safe and what’s harmful to your tooth enamel. When administered by a professional, the solutions you’d find in our office are one hundred percent safe. If there’s an over-the-counter treatment you had in mind, ask one of our dentists first before you begin it. Many products contain ingredients that can actually cause tooth enamel to wear away, leaving your smile permanently eroded.