How Professional Teeth Whitening Works

Fall colors are just around the corner, and that means holiday parties and gatherings can’t be far behind. It also means that right now is a great time for professional teeth whitening to help your smile look its best all fall and winter long.

Abir Faraj, DDS, at Novi Family Dentistry in Novi, Michigan, offers both single-visit, in-office professional whitening treatments and take-home kits to help patients get the results they want on their own schedule. Whichever type of whitening treatment you select, the professional-strength formulations will ensure you get great results.

If whitening is on your to-do list this fall, here’s a quick overview of the process and how it works to deliver whiter, brighter smiles.

How stains happen

Lots of factors can cause or contribute to tooth staining and discoloration. The main causes include:

• Smoking and tobacco use
• Consuming foods and beverages with dark pigments
• Poor oral hygiene
• Dental trauma
• Long-term use of certain medications
• Age-related changes in the enamel
• Wear and tear
• Underlying metabolic problems

Furthermore, some people are more prone to staining due to genetics. And, eating a lot of high-acid foods can contribute to stains, too, by temporarily softening the tooth enamel, making it easier for staining pigments to penetrate to the tooth’s deeper layers.

Professional teeth whitening to the rescue

You might be able to lessen some stains and discoloration through practicing good oral hygiene, getting regular dental cleanings, and using whitening toothpastes. But although these steps are important, they may not be able to get rid of deep stains and yellowing. That’s where professional whitening comes in.

While over-the-counter bleaching kits promise stellar results, these kits are limited in a couple of major ways. First, the whitening formulas they use aren’t as strong as the formulas provided by Dr. Faraj. That means you’re not going to get the same level of results as you would with a professional whitening treatment, nor will the results last as long.

Second, over-the-counter kits are designed for the general public, using strips or one-size-fits-all trays that don’t provide consistent coverage or allow time for the agent to sink in. At Novi Family Dentistry, Dr. Faraj uses custom trays and state-of-the-art technology to ensure each tooth surface receives maximum coverage for greater consistency and deeper penetration of the whitening agent.

In-office whitening

In-office whitening takes about an hour, and you can expect your smile to be up to 10 shades whiter when you leave our office. During your treatment, we apply the whitening gel to the surfaces of your teeth.

Then we use a special light to activate the gel and help it penetrate. Depending on your needs and goals, we may reapply the gel during your treatment to achieve maximum effect.

Take-home whitening

Take-home whitening kits use a custom-made tray made from a mold of your teeth. These trays ensure the gel stays in contact with every surface of your teeth for the duration of the whitening. Over the next few weeks, you wear the trays for a specified amount of time to achieve the results you’re looking for, right in your own home.

Both in-office and take-home kits use professional-strength formulations designed to penetrate enamel without harming it, gently lifting away stains and whitening the enamel. To get the best results, we recommend scheduling a cleaning first to get rid of plaque and tartar that may interfere with your whitening.

Don’t let dingy teeth take a toll on your self-confidence. With professional whitening from Novi Family Dentistry, your smile can always look its best. To learn more about the teeth whitening options we offer, book an appointment online or over the phone with Novi Family Dentistry today.