Dr. Rebecca A Schmorr is a Dentist and who has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Tooth Whitening.
Q. What is tooth whitening?
A. Tooth whitening (or bleaching) is a process where various strengths of either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide gels are used to lighten the teeth intrinsically (iow, you’re bleaching the tooth beyond just superficial stains). The higher the concentration of peroxide, the faster you get results.
Q. Who may benefit from teeth whitening?
A. Just about anyone that would like their teeth lighter. It’s very safe.
Q. Who are not recommended to undergo teeth whitening?
A. If you have extremely sensitive teeth, bleaching will make them even more sensitive for 24 hours afterwards. The sensitivity goes away, but it can be pretty painful for a small percentage of people. Bleaching won’t change the color of crowns, veneers or composite (tooth-colored) fillings, so if you have those and you want your teeth whiter, be prepapred to replace some of your restorations.
Q. What does tooth whitening involve?
A. There are a number of ways to bleach: there are strips, which work but somewhat slowly. Then there are custom trays where you place bleach gel in the trays and where them anywhere from an hour to overnight. The concentration of the gel determines how fast the teeth lighten--this usually takes anywhere from 7-10 applications to achieve maximum results in most people. Then there’s light-activated in-office bleaching where the bleach is applied by a dental professional and the light activates the bleach--you usually do 3 or 4 20 minute sessions, and that gives you the same results as 7-10 days of tray bleaching.
Q. How much does tooth whitening cost?
A. We carry a professional-strength package of strips called treswhites, those are about $100, custom trays (upper and lower) w/ 10 days of bleach are around $350; britesmile laser bleaching is $585, but the company often offers online coupons.
Q. What are the side effects?
A. As I mentioned before, some possible temporary sensitivity. If the bleach touches the gums, they’ll get a little inflamed, but that goes away pretty quickly.
