Teeth Whitening Professional
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Twin City Dental Group
General and Cosmetic Dentistry located in Uhrichsville, OH
Who wouldn’t want a whiter, more vibrant smile? Teeth whitening is one of the most commonly requested dental procedures, and at Twin City Dental Group, you can find a variety of treatments, each more effective than the whitening kits you may see at your local pharmacy. For a whitening treatment that you can trust, in a comfortable and welcoming environment, visit Randal Garvey, DDS, FAGD, and his team. They’re always taking new patients, and the helpful staff is waiting to take your call at the Uhrichsville, Ohio, office. Call today, or make an appointment online with the online scheduling tool.
Teeth Whitening Q & A
What is teeth whitening?
Even with regular brushing and flossing, it’s normal for your teeth to stain or change color as you age. Almost 90% of orthodontic patients ask their dentist about teeth whitening, making it one of the most common dental requests today.
Tooth whitening is a simple process using one of two bleaching agents, hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, to break up and eliminate stains on your teeth. While there are both at-home and in-office forms of bleaching, there are several key differences between the two.
Why would I need teeth whitening?
There are a number of reasons your teeth may become discolored, the most common including:
- Staining foods and drinks, especially coffee, cola, tea, and red wine
- Tobacco use
- Traumatic injury to a tooth
- Medications like antihistamines, antipsychotics, and blood pressure medication
Depending on the reason for discoloration, the effectiveness of whitening treatments can vary. Most stained teeth are yellow, which respond well to bleaching, but teeth that have begun to turn brown or are gray from traumatic injury may not respond as well. Teeth whitening may not be effective on crowns or dental implants, though these can often be whitened separately through composite tooth recoloration. Ask Dr. Garvey if whitening is a good option for you.
What’s the difference between an in-office whitening treatment and at-home treatment?
While at-home whitening treatments operate under the same principles as an in-office treatment, the difference is in the execution. At-home treatments use the same bleaching agents but are weaker and can’t be customized to your smile.
At-home treatments can be effective, but the weaker bleaching agents take longer to work and may have less noticeable results. With an at-home treatment, it normally takes one to two weeks to see results, and you need to apply your bleaching agent once to twice a day. It can also be difficult to apply the bleaching agent evenly on your own teeth and to make sure you don’t miss any spots.
During an in-office treatment, Dr. Garvey can use a more powerful whitening agent, and he can make sure he distributes it correctly across your teeth. The professional bleaching agent offers quicker and more noticeable results; usually, you will only need one visit to Dr. Garvey to achieve your goals, though some bleaching procedures occur over two visits. In-office treatments often use light or heat to help the bleaching agent take effect more quickly.
If you’re interested in whitening your teeth and brightening your smile, call the office today or make an appointment online.