Teeth Whitening in Alpharetta

When Can Professional Dental Whitening Help?

Professional dental whitening is known by several names, including power bleaching, in-office teeth whitening and chairside teeth whitening, but they all deliver the same stellar whitening results that are noticeable right away. Counter to DIY whitening kits, chairside whitening is conducted under closely supervised conditions to make sure that the procedure is done safely and painlessly. In our clinical setting, we use a more potent bleaching gel than those found in at-home kits, and this gel is the reason you enjoy immediate results from the procedure.

If your teeth are stained from long-term consumption of tea, coffee, cola, red wine, cherries, tomato sauce and other highly pigmented foods, chairside whitening is probably a good choice for you. It’s also highly effective at lightening teeth discolored by long-term tobacco use, including smoking and chewing tobacco. On the other hand, some tooth discolorations don’t respond effectively to the procedure. This includes discoloration caused by deep structural problems like injury and decay as well as teeth that have become gray from tetracycline use. Crowns, veneers, fillings and other tooth restorations will not lighten during the procedure, even when your natural tooth surfaces will.

To determine if your teeth can be whitened by this procedure, our teeth bleaching dentist will first examine your teeth and gums. This exam verifies if your teeth and gums are healthy enough for the procedure, helps us find the underlying cause of your tooth discoloration and guides us in choosing the teeth whitening procedure that best meets your smile whitening goals.

Can My Dentist Provide At-Home Whitening?

In addition to chairside whitening, our office provides convenient kits for teeth whitening at home. Our professional at-home whitening kits are made by your dentist specifically for you. Your kit includes custom-made whitening trays, professional-grade bleaching gel and instructions for use so you can achieve the brightest smile possible.

The kit is very simple to use. Each day, you’ll fill the tray with our professional-grade teeth whitening gel. You’ll fit the tray over your teeth and keep it in place for about an hour. After two weeks of daily use, you’ll achieve a brighter smile that is up to six shades lighter than your original tooth color.

What Will You Pay for Teeth Whitening?

The cost of teeth whitening depends on a number of factors, including the type of whitening system you choose, the number of treatments you require and whether you’ll need follow-up at-home kits. If we need to even out the color of your restorations after treatment, that may affect cost as well. We will provide you with a comprehensive teeth bleaching cost estimate after we’ve evaluated your specific dental needs.

How Do Professional and DIY Teeth Whitening Compare?

DIY teeth whitening products like toothpastes, strips, gels and rinses are fine if you’re looking for a very mild improvement to your tooth color. However, these products lack the reliability and potency of professional whitening treatments, so your results aren’t always consistent from one tooth to the next. Plus, if you use over-the-counter products incorrectly, you may irritate your gums and sensitive teeth. With professional procedures, your treatment is carefully overseen by trained professionals who are experienced in delivering remarkable, consistent and safe teeth whitening results.

How Long Will My Teeth Whitening Procedure Last?

You can expect your procedure to take 30 to 90 minutes, depending on how much teeth whitening is needed. The procedure is painless and usually includes the following steps:

1. Your teeth are examined and cleaned.
2. A painless cheek retractor pulls your lips and cheeks away from your teeth so the whiteners can be easily applied to your teeth.
3. A protective fluid is applied to your gums to prevent gum irritation during the whitening process.
4. Multiple coatings of bleaching gel are applied to your teeth. Each coat is applied, set and removed before the next coat is applied.
5. Your dentist also usually takes photos of your teeth before, during and after the treatment to track your progress. Once treatment is finished, your dentist assesses the level of whitening achieved and recommends whether you need follow-up treatment.
6. It’s never been easier to have the glowing, white smile of your dreams. We’re here to help, so call us today to find out more about teeth whitening in Alpharetta.