Professional in-office teeth whitening | Dental Treatment Guide


One of the most popular of the cosmetic dental procedures is an in-office tooth whitening. In office whitening is not like the whitening systems you use in your home, which use small doses of bleaching agents. The in-office treatment is a power bleaching system that takes place in a controlled environment using a high concentration of bleaching gel that is pain free and offers immediate results.

The advantages of in-office whitening

  • In-Office whitening gives you much faster teeth whitening results
  • It is the safest of bleaching for your teeth
  • Sensitivity of gums and teeth is more controllable using thick peroxide gels and products that desensitize your teeth such as fluoride and potassium nitrate.

The Disadvantages of In-Office Whitening

  • In-office procedures are more expensive, usually costing at least $650,while take home trays are $400 and over the counter products are about $100.
  • The results are not guaranteed, as the whitening process depends on certain factors as age, heredity and the staining types.
  • After treatment is done, you are susceptible to getting stains; this type of bleaching is not permanent. Your dentist may recommend a home maintenance system that uses low percentage bleach, which you must keep on your teeth for a longer period of time.

In Office Whitening removes organic stains and many discolorations that are caused by:

  • Aging: You will notice that over time your teeth will get darker, taking on colors of yellow, brown, green and gray. These problems are usually caused by heredity or eating habits. Usually if your teeth are yellow they will whiten quicker than any of the other colors.
  • Certain Foods: some foods such as coffee, red wine, soda and dark vegetables and fruit will cause staining.
  • Tobacco

Stains that are resistant to in-office whitening

  • Teeth that are stained with inorganic stains are usually found to be unresponsive, if fact many times these teeth will remain dark while the other teeth are whitened.
  • Sometimes having trauma may cause the dentin to become darker
  • Tetracycline antibiotics, which are drugs that chemically bind with crystalline structure of your tooth’s enamel and dentin
  • Being exposed to too much fluoride, causing a condition called fluorosis, which causes discoloration.

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