Teeth whitening can improve your smile by removing stains caused by consuming certain foods and drinks, smoking, and yellowing due to aging. With a professional take-home whitening kit from Dr. Bauer, you can restore the natural brightness of your enamel and feel proud of your smile once again. Contact us now for a cosmetic consultation from your dentist in Fresno, CA.
First, you’ll come to our office for an appointment with your local Fresno dentist. He’ll examine your mouth to make sure teeth whitening is right for you. If you’re approved, he’ll use a digital scanner to take impressions of your teeth. These will be used to build a set of custom-made plastic whitening trays.
Once your whitening trays have been built and sent to our office, you’ll come back and pick them up. Dr. Bauer will also give you a set of professional whitening products, as well as instructions on how to use your kit at home.
Next, just follow Dr. Bauer’s instructions to treat yourself in the comfort of your own home. Most patients will whiten their teeth for about an hour per day for 2-3 weeks, but this may vary depending on your case. Before you know it, you’ll have a beautiful, bright, picture-perfect smile.
Take-home whitening is our preferred whitening treatment at Bauer Dental Co. It’s more affordable for patients, lets you treat yourself in the comfort of your own home, and provides more gradual results. That means it’s less obvious that you’ve had your teeth whitened, and gradual results help with tooth sensitivity, too. To learn more and see if take-home whitening is right for you, schedule a cosmetic consultation with Dr. Bauer.
Professional teeth whitening from a dentist like Dr. Bauer will never damage your teeth. However, it is possible for some unsafe over-the-counter whitening kits to cause tooth damage.
This usually happens because the level of peroxide (whitener) is too high. Excessive peroxide exposure can permanently weaken and damage your teeth, which is why we always recommend seeing a professional, rather than using at-home over-the-counter whitening kits
Broadly speaking, there are two types of teeth whitening products that work. Abrasives and peroxides.
Abrasive whitening toothpaste uses baking soda or a similar material that’s gritty, but softer than your enamel. This means it can gently rub away plaque and surface stains, whitening your teeth. Using ADA-approved abrasive toothpaste can help you keep your smile bright.
Some toothpaste and mouthwash also contain a small amount of peroxides like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. These are the same chemicals used in professional whitening treatments. The concentration is very low compared to professional whiteners, so you won’t get the same results simply by rinsing and brushing with these products. However, they can help fight back against stain buildup, and keep your smile bright for a longer period of time.
Dentists are not entirely sure. However, the leading theory has to do with “dentinal microtubules.” These are thin, hollow structures in your enamel that reach all the way into your dental nerve.
The theory is that, since teeth whitening products weaken enamel slightly, this exposes the dentinal microtubules to heat, cold, and pressure. In turn, this causes sensitivity. Then, as your enamel recovers after teeth whitening, these microtubules seal up again, which eliminates tooth sensitivity.
This is why it’s important to keep brushing with fluoride toothpaste during and after your treatment. Fluoride helps strengthen your enamel faster and can minimize sensitivity during the teeth whitening process.