Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw (mandible), the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent.
An Interview with Dr. Trey Rosdick on Tooth Whitening
Dr. Trey Rosdick is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Tooth Whitening.
Q. What is tooth whitening?
A. Tooth whitening is a procedure that can be done in office or at home and can whiten teeth very quickly or gradually over time. In-office bleaching is usually done in 45 minutes to an hour while take home bleaching can yield wonderful results within 2-3 weeks.
Q. Who may benefit from teeth whitening?
A. Almost everyone would benefit from teeth whitening. The time it takes to whiten the teeth depends on how much stain there is from drinking coffee, tea, soft drinks and smoking cigarettes.
Q. Who are not recommended to undergo teeth whitening?
A. People who are not candidates for teeth bleaching are:
a) Pregnant women
b) People who have composite (tooth colored fillings) or crowns on their front teeth.
There is no evidence that bleaching teeth during pregnancy has any ill effects on the newborn, but there is not enough data to say its safe. I recommend that the mom wait until after child is born and breastfeeding is over to start bleaching.
People with composite fillings and crowns on their front teeth are not candidates for bleaching because both of these materials will NOT get lighter. If a patient does have composite fillings in their front teeth and bleaches their teeth, the composites will need to be replaced to match the lighter teeth.
Q. What does tooth whitening involve?
A. In-office bleaching involves bleach being put on the teeth and that bleach being activated with a high strength ultraviolet light. Take home bleaching involves placing bleach in a custom-made tray and then you wearing that tray a few times during the day.
Q. How long does this take?
A. In-office bleaching usually takes from 45 minutes to an hour while take home bleaching is more gradual and can take anywhere from 2-3 weeks.
Q. How much does tooth whitening cost?
A. In-office bleaching can cost anywhere from $400-600, while take home bleaching is usually $200-300 for both top and bottom arches.
Q. What are the side effects?
A. In office bleaching has 2 drawbacks:
a) It can cause severe sensitivity
b) It has a rebound effect
The severe sensitivity is self-explanatory. Some patients experience sensitivity more than others, but its not uncommon for patients to have very sensitive teeth after in-office bleaching.
After patients do in-office bleaching, the next few days their teeth are nice and white....but a week later, they are back to the shade they used to be. This is the rebound effect and thats why in-office bleaching is good for people who need a quick fix. In order to not get a rebound effect, the patient must also do take home bleaching AFTER the in-office bleaching. That is why I recommend take home bleaching as the treatment of choice. Take home bleaching patients experience much less sensitivity and even though the results take a few weeks longer, the teeth stay white much longer. After you get the teeth as white as you want them, you will probably need to do "touch up" bleaching once a week or a few times a month depending on the amount of red wine, coffee or soft drinks you consume.
Q. How to contact Dr. Rosdick if we have further questions?
A.
Address:
2100 Devereux Circle, Suite 200
Vestavia Hills, AL 35243
Phone: 205-967-8330
Email: info@altadenadentistry.com
Website: http://www.altadenadentistry.com/
