Professional Teeth Whitening: Is It Right for You?

Teeth naturally become stained and discolored. Over time, the tooth enamel picks up pigments from foods and drinks like chocolate, coffee, tea, and red wine or exposure to tobacco tar and nicotine. These pigments accumulate, create a yellowish or brownish hue, and dull the appearance of the smile. Additional factors such as certain oral hygiene, certain medications, and age can also factor into tooth discoloration.

Thankfully, with professional teeth whitening, stains and discoloration can be removed from the teeth to create a white, bright, youthful-looking smile that you can feel proud to show off.  

What Is Professional Teeth Whitening?

Professional teeth whitening refers to teeth whitening services provided by a dental care professional - not teeth whitening products that are available over the counter.  

Professional teeth whitening typically falls into two types of services: teeth whitening treatments provided in the office and teeth whitening treatments prescribed for home use.  

How Does Professional Teeth Whitening Work?

Both in-office and at-home treatments use high, medical-grade concentrations of bleaching agents that oxidize, dissolve, and lift stains from the surfaces of the teeth. Additionally, with in-office treatments, we might also recommend a prophylaxis cleaning to scale tartar away from the surfaces of the teeth and polish the tooth enamel to ensure even and complete exposure of the tooth enamel to the whitening agents to maximize the effectiveness of treatments.  

How Much Does Professional Teeth Whitening Cost?

The cost of professional teeth whitening can vary depending on several factors such as:

• The type of whitening treatments (in-office or at-home treatments)

• The type of whitening trays used (custom-fitted vs. generic)

• The number of treatments needed

• Whether or not you require a professional cleaning first

In Washington state, the average cost of teeth whitening ranges from $500 to $1,000 for in-office treatments, $100 to $400 for at-home treatments, and about $300 to $800 for custom-fitted whitening trays.  

The Benefits: Is Professional Teeth Whitening Worth It?

It's difficult to put a number on the value of having a whiter, brighter, more evenly colored smile. Professional teeth whitening treatments can help to boost a person's confidence, improve their physical appearance, and even create a more professional look.  

Professional teeth whitening is more expensive than over-the-counter whitening products like whitening toothpaste. However, many patients view the cost of professional whitening as an investment in their appearance, confidence, and self. Plus, professional teeth whitening (especially, when compared to over-the-counter options) offers several benefits and advantages, including:

• Always Safe - Professional teeth whitening treatments are always safe for patients and their teeth. With over-the-counter products that have not been approved by the American Dental Association, you can't always be sure what kinds of whitening agents and abrasives are contained in the products. As a result, there's a risk of damaging your tooth enamel or gum tissues.  

• Fast and Highly Effective - Professional treatments use medical-grade whitening agents that work fast to whiten the teeth. Professional treatments administered in the office can dissolve and lift years of stains in under an hour. To obtain results similar to professional whitening treatments, a patient might need months and several boxes of over-the-counter whitening strips.  

• Customized Whitening - Professional whitening treatments are customized and administered according to each patient's needs and whitening goals. We can work with you to create a customized system designed to achieve the specific, naturally beautiful results you desire. Our customized whitening system not only includes customized whitening goals but also custom-designed and comfortable-fitting whitening trays.  

• Dental Restoration Consideration - Tooth-whitening products do not work on porcelain or composite resin dental restorations such as crowns, bridges, or veneers. Our dentist can work with patients who have dental restorations to ensure tooth whitening products result in an even and consistent tooth enamel appearance.  

• Controlled Products - Tooth whitening gel must be stored, handled, and administered properly to preserve its active ingredients. We always obtain our whitening products from highly reputable sources and store and handle them properly. With over-the-counter products, it's difficult to know exactly what you are using to whiten your teeth, how safe it is, and how effective it will be.  

• Sensitivity Management - Tooth whitening products can cause temporary tooth sensitivity as a side effect. With professional whitening, we take measures to manage and mitigate sensitivity such as protective gels and remineralizing fluoride varnishes. We will customize your treatments and administration to ensure a comfortable whitening experience.  

• Long-Term Results - Professional whitening treatments provide long-lasting results because they achieve so much whitening in so little time. We provide patients with guidance to extend the life of their whitening treatments, and custom trays should last a lifetime. So, we can easily provide patients with a simple refill syringe for professional-grade, at-home maintenance, as needed.  

Ultimately, each patient has to decide whether or not professional teeth whitening is worth it for them. If you wish to brighten your smile, improve your appearance, and create a more youthful look, we strongly recommend professional treatments for our patients. Compared to over-the-counter whitening options, it's important to remember that professional whitening is always safe, faster, and more effective.  

What to Expect During the Teeth Whitening Procedure

Consultation and Preparation

During a teeth whitening consultation, our dentist talks with you about your whitening goals and preferences to determine whether in-office or at-home treatments are right for you. If you will be using a custom-designed, perfectly fitting whitening tray, then we will take digital impressions of your teeth during this appointment and prepare your whitening tray.  

Whitening Treatments: How Long Does Professional Teeth Whitening Take?

The amount of time and sessions required for professional teeth whitening varies from patient to patient depending on whether they will be whitening their teeth in our office or at home. (In-office treatments work more quickly than take-home whitening kits.) Treatments in our office can take anywhere between about 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the level of whitening you wish to achieve.  

To begin treatments, we prepare your teeth. The preparation process might entail a professional cleaning, if necessary. If scaling and polishing are not needed, then we will simply begin by applying a special protective gel to your gums before filling your custom trays with whitening gel and inserting them over your teeth. Depending on the type of whitening treatment, a special, activating light might also be applied to your teeth.  

You can then sit back in the dental chair and relax while the teeth whitening agents get to work, dissolving and lifting stains and discoloration from your tooth enamel.  

Aftercare: When Can I Brush My Teeth After Professional Teeth Whitening Treatments?

Once your treatment is complete, our dentist will advise you on how long to wait before brushing your teeth. For most patients, this ranges between about six and 24 hours, depending on the length of your treatments. Waiting to brush helps to prevent tooth sensitivity from occurring and protects the integrity of your tooth enamel. During this hour, a professional fluoride application and/or your natural saliva will remineralize your enamel to keep it strong.  

Get a Bright, White, Dazzling Smile with Professional Teeth Whitening in Gig Harbor

At Cedarbrook Dental, we're proud to provide our patients with comprehensive cosmetic dental services, including teeth whitening treatments. If your smile looks more yellow or dull than you would like, we encourage you to consider professional teeth whitening that can help you lift years of stains and achieve lasting results in as little as one visit to our dental office.

To learn more about professional whitening treatments or to request an appointment, we welcome you to contact Cedarbrook Dental in Gig Harbor, Washington today. We look forward to talking with you about your smile goals and helping you achieve them!

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