Teeth Whitening

Is Professional Dental Whitening Better Than At-Home Kits?

Also known as chair-side teeth whitening or power bleaching, teeth whitening done by your teeth bleaching dentist is more effective in a shorter amount of time, and there’s relatively no risk of complications. The bleaching gel used in your dentist’s office is very concentrated, so it works very quickly. Since it’s in a professional setting, your progress is continually monitored to ensure that you have the best results. If your teeth are discolored and stained due to lifestyle habits such as smoking or consuming dark-colored foods or beverages, then a professional whitening will yield better results.

If you’ve had reconstructive dentistry, then your artificial teeth may not respond well to the teeth bleaching gel. Sometimes discoloration can be due to decay or defective fillings, and the bleach won’t eradicate those stains. This type of issue, however, can only be determined by a professional dentist. When you come to our Gainesville office for a dental whitening procedure, we’ll thoroughly examine your mouth to determine if the whitening process will work for you and which system is best for your unique needs. If you’re interested in teeth whitening, then call our office and schedule an appointment.

How Can I Effectively Whiten My Teeth at Home?

Although we provide teeth whitening in our office, we realize that not everyone will be able to work the appointments into their schedule. We provide dental whitening kits for at-home use, but they require an office visit first. We want to ensure that the teeth whitening procedure will work well for you, and we’ll need to take an impression of your teeth so that we can fabricate your custom whitening trays. You’ll use the same teeth whitening products that we use in our office, but you’ll be able to apply them at home at your convenience. Many patients report that they’ve lightened their teeth up to six shades when they wear their trays for an hour each day for two consecutive weeks. If you’re interested in our at-home teeth whitening kits, call our Gainesville office for an appointment.

What’s the Professional Teeth Bleaching Cost?

The cost for each teeth whitening procedure will depend on the individual and their unique circumstances. Factors that will influence the cost of your teeth whitening procedure include:

• The type of teeth whitening system that you select.
• The degree of whitening needed.
• The number of followup visits you need.
• The number of repairs needed to ensure a consistent color.
• Any insurance coverage that you have.

When you come to our office for an evaluation, we’ll determine the degree of treatment that you need and provide you with an accurate estimate of the cost of your teeth whitening procedure. Call us for an appointment or if you have additional questions.

Is There a Significant Difference Between Professional Whitening Products and Teeth Whitening at Home Products?

There’s a significant difference in the results from a do-it-yourself dental whitening procedure and one that is done in a professional dental office. Although there’s a wider variety of dental whitening products available at your local pharmacy, none of them are as effective as those used by your teeth bleaching dentist. Additionally, the over-the-counter products can irritate your gums and cause you to have unevenly colored teeth. Dental whitening performed in a professional office can yield better results in less time with a significantly reduced risk of unintended consequences. If you have questions or want to schedule an appointment, then call our Gainesville office, and we’ll be glad to help you.

What’s Involved in the Teeth Bleaching Process?

Although your specific process may differ slightly due to the whitening system used, you will generally experience the following when you come to our office for dental whitening.

1. First, we’ll clean your teeth and examine them.
2. We may take photos of your teeth so that we can better monitor the progress of your whitening procedure.
3. We’ll place a cheek retractor in between your jaw and your teeth. This exposes your teeth and protects the sensitive cheek tissues from the bleaching gel.
4. We’ll apply a protective liquid shield to your gums to keep them from being damaged by the bleaching gel.
5. We’ll begin to apply the bleaching gel, and you may need several applications. Each layer will be left on for a set time and then removed before another layer is applied.
6. We may use a special light to enhance the gel’s effects.
7. After the final layer of gel is removed, we’ll evaluate the color of your teeth and determine if you need additional office visits or you need at-home treatments.

If you’re ready for a beautiful white smile that you’ll be proud to show to the world, then call Tioga Dental at Celebration Pointe at (352) 389-4386 and schedule an appointment. If you have more questions about cosmetic dental whitening or other cosmetic procedures, then give us a call. You’ll be glad you made the call.