Has your smile dulled over the years?

Have years of drinking coffee, tea or soft drinks left your teeth stained and discoloured?

Fortunately, dentistry has a solution for your yellowing teeth. As recently seen on Oprah with Dr. Oz, tooth whitening has become a popular exercise with the rise of personal appearance television shows and over the counter solutions.

The following are some common questions regarding whitening:
1. WHAT ARE SOME CAUSES OF TOOTH DISCOLORATION?

2. ARE RESULTS GUARANTEED? and DOES IT WORK ON EVERYONE?
It is not possible to guarantee results, due to differences in oral hygiene care and habits such as smoking and drinking dark colored liquids. There are a small percentage of patients whose teeth will not respond to bleaching.

3. HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?
It usually lasts for several years after which time a touch-up treatment may be required. We will monitor any shade changes at your regular re-care appointments.

4. WILL MY TEETH WHITEN EVENLY?
Some people have varied areas of calcification on their teeth that may become evident as white spots while bleaching. These usually blend with the rest of the tooth as the treatments progress or afterward during the rehydration period.

5. WHAT ABOUT MY WHITE FILLINGS AND PORCELAIN CROWNS?
It is important to note that chemical bleaching does not work on porcelain crowns, composite (white) fillings, bonding or veneers. Approximately two weeks after the completion of treatments, the shade will be stable and the teeth ready for the replacement of any fillings that no longer match the new tooth shade.

6. WILL IT MAKE MY TEETH SENSITIVE?
Some people may experience temporary tooth sensitivity as a result of using bleaching treatments. This usually disappears when treatments are stopped or a desensitizing gel is used in the bleaching tray.

7. WHAT IS IN THE BLEACHING GEL? and CAN EVERYONE USE IT?
The active ingredient in the gel is carbamide peroxide in a glycerin base. If you are aware of any allergy or adverse reaction to these ingredients, do not proceed with treatment. Pregnant or lactating women should not use whitening treatments.

8. IS WHITENING SAFE?
Tooth Whitening is a mild bleaching process that restores stained or discoloured teeth to a healthy, natural colour. We use a product that has been proven safe when used under the direction of a dentist. Our office uses an advanced procedure that is not available over the counter.

9. IS WHITENING FOR ME?
We will evaluate your teeth and smile with you, to determine whether whitening is right for you. Sometimes we may recommend a different cosmetic procedure which would better meet your expectations.

10. WHAT IS THE WHITENING PROCESS?
We are proud to offer one of our most popular whitening treatment methods in one appointment in our office. The results are immediate and monitored closely during the process.

Custom trays are also given by taking impressions of your teeth creating custom whitening trays. These trays are given to you to take home and will guide the whitening agent to the areas of your teeth that need to be touched up for any future use.

We will record the current colour of your teeth to help you monitor your progress. We also offer another method of whitening. Impressions of your teeth are taken. A custom tray is created and given with instructions to monitor at home. We will instruct you on how to apply the whitening agent to your trays and how to insert them into your mouth. These trays and the whitening agent can then be taken home with you. The trays can be worn while you sleep or during the day. The clear, custom-fitted trays are barely visible and do not interfere with your ability to speak.

11. WHEN WILL I SEE RESULTS?
The time it will take depends on the original colour of your teeth, how discoloured they were, and how frequently the treatment is applied.

12. HOW LONG WILL THE RESULTS LAST?
The effects typically last several years. Many patients choose to "touch-up" their teeth every 6 to 12 months by applying the treatment for 1 or 2 nights. "Touch-ups" are especially useful for patients that drink beverages that stain teeth, like coffee and tea.

13. ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?
Some patients may experience heightened tooth sensitivity or mild tooth or gum sensitivity during treatment, but these symptoms are only temporary and disappear within a few days after the treatment is finished.

Feel free to ask us about professional tooth whitening as well as over the counter agents. We’d be happy to compare treatments and help you decide which treatment will be most effective for you.