For those who have and are maintaining good oral health, a family dentist can also help you make cosmetic improvements to your smile.
Most people agree that a smile is one of the first things you notice about a person.
Cosmetic tooth whitening, or bleaching, is a safe, effective way to improve the color of one's teeth.
Whitening teeth that have discolored over time can revitalize your teeth, making them look better, younger, and instilling a new confidence in your smile.
Tray whitening is the most popular way to whiten or bleach one's teeth.
Trays that are custom-fitted and formed to your natural teeth are worn for one-two hours per day or overnight, depending on the concentration of bleach gel applied.
With each successive treatment, the natural tooth structure gradually becomes whiter.
This is a safe, cost-effective way to change the color of one's natural teeth, because the strength of the bleaching gel can be customized to the individual's specific treatment needs and preferences.
ZOOM? and BRITE-SMILE? are light-activated bleaching techniques that are also available.
Due to the very harsh, super-strong concentration of gel that must be applied and the heat/light activation involved in these processes, the teeth whiten via dehydration.
This oftentimes leads to severe, long-lasting, painful hypersensitivity.
As these teeth gradually rehydrate, they redarken and now must still follow-up with tray bleaching.
ZOOM? and BRITE-SMILE? are only jump-start procedures for patients in a hurry, as long as they are aware of the potential risks to these treatments.
It is generally accepted that custom-fitted trays alone are the safest, most comfortable, most controllable way to whiten or brighten one's teeth.