In-Office Tooth Whitening with Dramatic Results

One immediately visible sign of vibrant health is a dazzling, white smile. Unfortunately, many of us see our youthful white smiles fading as age, wear, and lifestyle habits take their toll.

Many factors can contribute to the dulling of your smile. Some of these are:

• Cracks or chips in the teeth
• Discoloration from food or beverages
• Nicotine use
• Natural wear-and-tear of the tooth enamel

A variety of options is available to restore the youthful glow to your smile. Many people try over-the-counter at-home remedies to help eliminate that dingy, yellow look. These treatments aren’t always strong enough, though, and can result in frustration when they don’t work as well as you’d like.

Your dentist also offers tooth whitening options. These options are much stronger and more effective than the tooth whiteners you can find at your local pharmacy. One of the most effective and dramatic tooth whitening techniques is in-office treatment.

The Advantages of In-Office Tooth Whitening

In-office tooth whitening from your dentist has several distinct advantages over other whitening treatments. These include:

• Treatment is easy, with nothing to take home and no daily treatments to remember
• You’ll see results immediately
• Treatments use powerful whitening agents that achieve dramatic results

A typical in-office treatment involves use of a whitening agent many times more powerful than over-the-counter products. Your gums are painted with a protective substance, then the dentist paints the whitening agent onto the teeth. In some systems, such as the Rembrandt® Tooth Whitening System, the dentist shines a special light onto the treated teeth to activate the whitening agent. The agent is removed after a certain length of time, usually about twenty minutes, and the process is repeated until you achieve the results you want.

In-office tooth whitening generally takes one to two hours, depending on your desired results. After the full treatment, your teeth are dramatically whiter. Most in-office treatments can lighten your teeth from five to seven shades in a single visit.

A quick, effective in-office treatment like this can be especially useful if you need to have your teeth whitened for a special event, such as a wedding or a professional photo session. If you’re tired of your not-quite-white teeth, in-office tooth whitening might be just what you need to spruce up your smile.