4 Common Questions About Professional Teeth Whitening

Have you been suffering from teeth that are discolored? Do you wish they looked better to boost your confidence? If so, professional teeth whitening may be the solution to your problem. It is much faster and more effective than any teeth whitening kit you could buy over the counter at your local drug store.

Before you even step foot into a dental office, you may have some questions about professional teeth whitening to help you decide if you want to move forward with a consultation. Here are four common questions you may have about getting your teeth whitened by a dentist.

Will the Whitening Process Hurt?

When getting any type of dental procedure done, one of the things on top of most people’s minds is whether the procedure will cause them pain. The whitening procedure itself won’t be painful, but there may be discomfort that follows afterward. A common problem is increased sensitivity immediately following the procedure, which is due to peroxide and other chemicals affecting the teeth.

The discomfort from sensitivity is something that will go away after a couple of days on its own; however, those initial days after the procedure may be unenjoyable. Try to stay away from extremely hot or cold foods that can cause the teeth to be really sensitive.

How Long Will the Procedure Take?

Each whitening procedure will vary in length, but they won’t take very long to perform in the dentist’s office. For those that have teeth with a small amount of discoloration, expect the procedure to take about an hour to do. It is even possible that you will just need a single visit and won’t have to come back for follow-up treatments.

However, teeth that are very discolored will need more treatments. Your dentist will request that you come back for multiple whitening sessions in order to get the color of your teeth to the desired shade of white.

How Long Will Teeth Whitening Last?

There are many factors that go into how long a professional teeth whitening will last. First of all, take into consideration how your teeth became discolored. If you have bad habits like smoking and regularly drinking coffee, expect your teeth to show signs of discoloration within a year or so. However, those that take steps to change their diet to avoid teeth staining foods could see results that last about 3 years before another whitening treatment is needed.

You will want to consider making changes to your diet to help prolong how long your teeth retain their pristine shade of white. Keep up with regular oral hygiene by brushing twice a day and using a toothpaste that promotes whitening. It can help you get a few more years out of your treatment before the discoloration becomes noticeable

Will Existing Dental Work Be Whitened?

Any dental work you had done in the past, such as cavity fillings, will not become whiter as part of professional dental whitening. They will remain the same color as before, with there actually being a potential risk of the bond breaking down between your teeth and the filling material.

If you had fillings on the visible side of teeth that were designed to look like your existing tooth color, you may run into a problem with the filling matching your new shade of teeth. Consider having those filling removed and replaced with a new filling that better matches the color of your teeth.

These are just a few questions you may have about professional teeth whitening. Does it sound like something that would be right for you? Meet with Family Dental Center for a consultation.