Teeth whitening, bonding, and veneers are all options for brightening a smile, but whitening treatments are the most popular solution thanks to their ease of use and affordable pricing. But how does teeth whitening work? Will the results last? We answer these questions and more below.
How Teeth Whitening Works: The Basics
With our Whitening for Life program, you’ll have your choice of two take-home teeth whitening treatments. Both use an active peroxide agent to bleach away stains—in fact, most whitening treatments work the same way! Although there are some that physically remove stained enamel through abrasion, the vast majority of over-the-counter and professional teeth whitening treatments use a peroxide-based gel.
So why should you get a professional whitening kit from your dentist if you can buy the same thing at the store? Well, the difference is in the strength! Dentists offer stronger bleaching agents, so they’re more effective.
Once the bleaching gel is applied to your teeth, it seeps through the pores in your enamel and penetrates the dentin. Oxygen molecules from the peroxide break up the discolored molecules, which results in a whiter smile. The more stains or discoloration your teeth have, the more applications you’ll need. With our Whitening for Life program, you’ll be able to tailor your treatment to your needs and preferences.
You may be wondering why our practice doesn’t offer in-office teeth whitening treatments. We think that at-home teeth whitening is the best option for our patients, which is why we choose not to offer in-office whitening. While in-office treatments are faster, they’re also much more expensive. Why pay several times more for the same results you can get from an at-home teeth whitening kit? It might take you 10 days to achieve those results, but we think the cost savings is worth it! You don’t need laser lights or fancy LED mouthpieces to brighten your smile.
Maintaining Your Results
Another concern that many patients have is whether their teeth whitening treatment will last. The answer is yes, as long as you maintain the results! You can expect your teeth to stay brighter for a few years if you avoid staining foods and beverages, quit any habits that caused your stains in the first place, and follow appropriate oral hygiene routines. Without taking these steps, your teeth whitening might not last very long.
Of course, when you’re a member of the Whitening for Life program, you don’t have to worry about how long your teeth whitening results will last because if you notice stains developing again, you can touch them up at home! Our members get free teeth whitening kit refills for as long as they’re a patient in good standing at our practice.
Learn More About Take-Home Teeth Whitening Kits and Whitening for Life
If you’d like to learn more about how teeth whitening works or our Whitening for Life program, contact us today at 330-741-3334 to schedule an appointment.