TEETH WHITENING
WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF TEETH WHITENING?
Teeth whitening is an excellent way to gain confidence in your smile!
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It is important to understand your dental health prior to teeth whitening as it may affect other dental conditions you have going on in your mouth. Prior to any prosthetic treatment it is important to discuss teeth whitening, or your desired final tooth color with Dr. Schlam so that she can strategically determine the best time to whiten for you in your treatment sequence.
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In only a day or two your custom bleach splints will be ready for you. We provide a special bleaching agent that you put into the clear trays. Your recommended wear time will be based on the percentage of bleaching agent selected, your desired goals, and your existing tooth sensitivity level. When your teeth reach the desired brightness, only occasional treatment is needed to maintain your new smile.
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Dental whitening can be used to correct many tooth discolorations but not all. Discolorations can be caused by staining, aging, or chemical damage to teeth. Using the latest in whitening technology, we can offer a safe method for creating a beautiful, brilliant smile. In cases of extreme tooth discoloration, composite restorations, crowns, veneers may be the best choice to give you your desired color and shape results.
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KEY BENEFITS OF TEETH WHITENING
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Corrects many brown and yellow discolorations
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Improves the aesthetics of your smile, regardless of age
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Is considered a minimally invasive treatment with often a large aesthetic result
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It works quickly, often reaching the maximum shade improvement in just a few weeks
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HOW IS TEETH WHITENING DONE?
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An impression is made to make a specialized tray to hold the bleaching solution against the teeth. Then the material is used based on the recommended personalized protocol for each patient by Dr. Schlam. By the end of a few weeks, significant whitening will occur if your teeth are able to whiten in this way.
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Whitening is just like darkening, your teeth are constantly in a state of flux of color based on the foods and liquids you consume. This is one of the reasons we prefer a 'home treatment' rather than 'in-office' as this ensures that you can easily 'touch-up' your whitening level each time you have special photos or an upcoming event.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEETH WHITENING
Over-the-counter bleaching agents are available for purchase at drug stores and pharmacies. However, since these products can cause harm to the gums and teeth, it is better to use products that are recommended by licensed dentists.
There is a huge range of products that are marketed to whiten teeth with a large range of percentages in each product. Many of these have not been evaluated by the American Dental Association and are being recommended 'off-label'.
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Would you wash your body with laundry detergent or vice versa?