Providence Tooth Whitening

Dr Joseph A. Russo is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Tooth Whitening.


Q. What is tooth whitening?

A. Whitening is designed to lighten the color of your teeth.  Significant lightening can be achieved in the vast majority of cases, but the results cannot be guaranteed.  Whitening will not harm your teeth or gums.  However, like any other treatment, it has some inherent risks and limitations.

Q. Who may benefit from teeth whitening? 

Almost anyone is a candidate for whitening.  However, people with dark yellow or yellow-brown teeth tend to whiten better than people with gray or bluish-gray teeth.  Multi-colored teeth, especially if stained due to tetracycline, do not whiten very well.  Teeth with many filling, cavities,chips, etc. are usually best treated by veneers, lumineers, porcelain crowns or bonding.

Q. What does tooth whitening involve?

A. In--office whitening:  This process is done in one visit and takes 1-2 hours.  A dental dam is placed as a gum protection, then the whitening gel is applied and a special light is used to further enhance the bleach.

The advantages of in office whitening include our doing all the work for you and less time you would spend at home whitening your teeth.  Another advantage would be the instant gratification of having a gleaming white smile.  A disadvantage may include the normal inconvenience of any dental treatment, which has to keep your mouth open for the duration of the appointment.
 
Take home whitening: This process involves wearing custom fitted trays filled with a mild bleaching agent.  You must wear the gel filled tray for 1-2 hours per day; trays can also be worn while sleeping.  You will continue to wear trays for approximately 2 weeks.  The success of home whitening is dependent on your commitment to wearing the whitening tray routinely for the period prescribed.

Q. How long does this take?

A. Approximately 2 hours in office, 1 hour is spent under light (4 - 15 minute intervals)

Q. How much does tooth whitening cost?

A. $600.

Q. What are the side effects? 

A. Any one or more of the following could be considered a side effect:
Tooth Sensitivity:  during the first 24 hours following whitening, some patients experience sensitivity.  This sensitivity is usually mild unless your teeth are normally sensitive.  With in-office whitening, this sensitivity will usually subside within 24 hours.  With take home whitening, it may be necessary to reduce the number of hours you wear the tray or stop using it for a short time to resolve the sensitivity
 
Gum Irritation:  Whitening may cause temporary inflammation of your gums..  With in-office whitening, this can be the result of a very small amount of gel leaking underneath the dental dam.  A burning sensation in your gums may also occur.  This will resolve itself in a few hours.
 
Leaking fillings or cavities: Most whitening is indicated for the outside of teeth.  However, if you have any fillings that are leaking and the gel gets into the inside of the teeth, damage to the nerve of the tooth could result.  In this case, the fillings need to be done prior to the whitening.  In addition, cavities can also allow whitening gel to reach nerves of teeth.  All cavities should also be filled prior to whitening
 
Cervical Abrasion/Erosion:  These conditions affect the roots of the teeth when gums recede. They are grooves, notches or depressions where the teeth meet the gums that generally look darker than the rest of the teeth.  They look darker because there is no enamel in these areas.  These notches are caused by grinding/bruxing/clenching your teeth and further treatment can be discussed.  Even if these areas are not sensitive, the whitening gel can potentially penetrate the teeth and damage the nerves.  These areas should not be whitened and should be filled after the whitening procedure is complete.
 
Effects of Fillings: Tooth colored fillings will not whiten.  If the filling matches your current color, whitening will result in mis-matched shades with your natural teeth.  You may need to have your fillings replaced so that they will match your newly whitened teeth.  Silver fillings also will not change color.

Q. How to contact Dr. Russo if we have further questions?    

A.
Address:
2148 Mineral Spring Avenue
North Providence, RI 02911
Telephone: 401.232.7777
Email:adcri@aol.com
Website: http://www.smileri.com/