What is teeth whitening?
As we get older, our teeth tend to darken over time. This can be influenced by various factors such as consuming dark beverages like tea, coffee, or alcohol, taking certain medications, smoking, and the natural wear and tear from everyday use.
Professional teeth whitening treatments involve the use of bleaching agents containing peroxide to lighten the shade of your teeth and minimize surface stains. During the treatment, the peroxide breaks down, and oxygen interacts with the tooth enamel, resulting in a whitening effect.
Professional Teeth Whitening at Our Office
Professional teeth whitening in the dental office is a popular treatment for many patients, as we can usually complete the full process in one or two sessions.
During your in-office whitening treatment, the dentist will start by placing a rubber shield over your gums to protect them from the whitening solution.
Next, they will apply the bleaching solution to your teeth with a small brush-like applicator. The solution will be left to work on your teeth for 15 minutes under a low-heat lamp. Your hygienist will then clear the solution and repeat the application process.
This process usually takes approximately 1 to 2 hours. For some patients, one session may be enough, but depending on your specific case, you may require more treatments to achieve the whitening effect you had in mind.
Professional Teeth Whitening At Home
If you search online for "how to whiten teeth," you'll come across various at-home teeth whitening options. While these can be considered as alternatives, they may not be as strong or effective as the teeth whitening kits available at our dental office in Kamloops.
Our teeth whitening solutions come with customized whitening trays and detailed instructions for whitening your teeth comfortably at home. Moreover, you'll have the supervision of your dentist throughout the process, and the cost of teeth whitening may be relatively lower than in-office treatments.
To get started, you'll need to visit the dentist to have an impression of your teeth taken, which will be used to create the custom whitening trays that fit your smile perfectly. These trays will be given to you, along with the whitening solution and clear instructions, during a follow-up visit to the dentist's office.
Once you have the trays, you'll wear them at home for about 30 minutes each day for approximately 2 weeks, until you achieve your desired level of whiteness. After that, you can use the whitening solution for touch-ups every 6 months or as needed.