Your Guide To Root Canals [graphic]
July 13, 2016
It May Be Time To Remove Your Wisdom Teeth
July 18, 2016
Teeth whitening is one of the most frequently requested procedures in cosmetic dentistry.
And thanks to the many over-the-counter whitening products that are available, many people have tried whitening at home.
But is it safe to do that?
When you come to Sunrise Dental for professional teeth whitening, you will be doing so under the supervision of dental professionals. This can help you achieve the whiter, brighter smile that you are seeking while minimizing any risks that come with using teeth whitening products.
This service is available at our dentist offices in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, and Chapel Hill.
Scientific Data
All you have to do is walk down the toothpaste aisle in almost any retail store to know that teeth whitening is popular. At any given store, you make find scores of self-proclaimed whitening products.
In many instances, this is mainly a marketing ploy, but it’s also captured the attention of the American Dental Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs.
The ADA has found that “whitening” is defined in two ways. One type of whitening is the removal of surface stains. The other type of whitening is done by using a bleaching agent of some kind.
This second definition is what most people think of when they ask about whitening their teeth.
Hydrogen peroxide is the primary bleaching agent found in commercial and professional products. Some products list carbamide peroxide as the active ingredient. According to the ADA, this breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and other things.
A product with 10 percent carbamide peroxide will break down to about 3.5 percent hydrogen peroxide.
Tooth sensitivity is one of the most common side effect reported by people who use commercial teeth whitening products. This can result from using whitening trays the fit poorly. While rare, some people have caused irreversible damage to their teeth from using these products.
The ADA Council on Scientific Affairs warns every patient that these products should not be used long-term or repeatedly without supervision.
The Benefits Of Professional Whitening
When you use a professional whitening product, you will be during so under the supervision of or with guidance from a dental professional.
These products use much higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (generally between 25 and 40 percent) when compared to commercial whitening products. This is why these products are only available through dentist offices.
The ADA recommends consulting with your dentist before using any bleaching product. This is especially true for patients with dental crowns, fillings, or extremely dark stains.
A dentist can evaluate your teeth and help you decide if a whitening treatment is appropriate.
Whitening At Sunrise Dental
If you come to our office seeking to remove stains from your teeth, we will work with you to decide whether in-office or take-home treatments will work best for you.
For our in-office treatments, we use Sinsational Smile®. This product saves time, is effective, and costs less than many other professional whitening product.
With Sinsational Smile, you can see stains come off your teeth in as little as 20 minutes. This product also has been designed to reduce tooth sensitivity issues.
The Opalescence take-home products that we offer will take more time to work, but they can still produce impressive improvements by the end of your treatment.
As part of this treatment, you will receive custom-fitted trays (which addresses one of the concerns noted by the ADA with many commercial whitening products). This makes the trays more comfortable to wear.
With some products, you will wear the trays while you sleep, which means your teeth whitening won’t interfere with the rest of your busy schedule.
The important thing with any whitening products is that you follow the directions provided by your dentist. This will give you the best results and the fewest complications.
Schedule Your Consultation
Before you use any teeth whitening product, we encourage you to visit Sunrise Dental first. Our dentists will examine your teeth so you will know if whitening is a good option to improve your stained teeth.
If teeth whitening isn’t any option for any reason, you may want to consider veneers instead. This is another way to give yourself the appearance of white teeth.
Our staff wants every patient who walks through our doors to leave satisfied with his or her smile. We want to help you find the right service to help you feel that way about your teeth, whether it’s our professional teeth whitening or another cosmetic service.
To get started on your new smile, schedule a consultation by calling the office closest to you or by filling out our online form.