TEETH WHITENING

In-office professional whitening treatments are typically completed in several short appointments but will depend on your unique needs. A whitening agent is left on for 15- to 30-minute increments, and the entire appointment should take no longer than an hour and a half.

There are a few types of in-office whitening treatments:

• A high concentration hydrogen peroxide gel, which is applied by a syringe.
• A hydrogen peroxide combined with a high-intensity light, like LED, UV or halogen. The light is applied by a lamp or laser device that sits directly outside of your mouth.

Halogen light and laser light increased teeth lightness more than hydrogen peroxide alone.

In-office whitening typically involves several steps:

• A tooth shade chart is used to determine the current shade of your teeth. You’ll discuss how many shades lighter your smile may become after whitening.
• A pumice tool is used to polish your tooth and remove any remaining plaque.
• To ensure the whitening agent doesn’t touch any fleshy parts of your mouth like your gums, cheeks or tongue, tools to keep your mouth open will be applied. A barrier is placed along the gum line.
• The whitening agent is then applied and left on for 15 minutes intervals. This is also when the use of the light activation is used.
• If the specific whitening agent requires additional coats, your professional will reapply it.
• Once the whitening process is complete, your mouth is rinsed. Your professional may apply fluoride, which will help mitigate any potential sensitivity.
• You and your professional discuss if your teeth have reached the desired shade and the lifestyle habits you’ll need to practice for the next day or so to let the whitening agent sink in. These include not eating brightly coloured foods and resisting coffee and red wine. Immediately after whitening, your teeth are dehydrated, making them extra susceptible to liquid and food stains.

Even if you stick to your professional's recommended regimen of resisting bright foods, coffee and wine, your teeth may appear a bit darker a few days after whitening. But don’t be discouraged. The dehydration caused by teeth-whitening makes them look immediately bright right after your procedure. After a week, if your teeth are not at your preferred shade, speak with your professional about whether or not there’s potential for them to become lighter with at-home products or more in-office visits.