It's sometimes disturbing to read some of the misconceptions many of you have when it comes to teeth whitening and the sort of dental problems it can and can't fix. Where the source of such misinformation lies is beyond us, however, you should know that it is very important to verify what you consider to be "fact." It's anything but pleasant to watch someone undergo teeth whitening to find that the results were anything but what they had envisioned. To prevent such a scenario from presenting itself to any of our readers, we have compiled this post.
First, let it be known that teeth whitening will not affect the color of your composite fillings or tooth bonding work. Teeth whitening may diminish the appearance of such dental work (as you are lightening your teeth), however, it will in no way shape or form affect the color of such work. If anyone tells you otherwise, please send them our way to show them otherwise.
Second, teeth whitening is not permanent. You may be maintain the color of your teeth for a specified period, but your teeth will eventually begin to darken to their original shade. No amount effort on your part will completely prevent this from occurring. If you want to maintain your newly whitened smile, you must revisit your cosmetic dentist for a follow-up procedure. Using an at-home kit following your in-office procedure may also help maintain the look of your teeth.
And finally, those of you trying to draw comparisons between at-home kits and in-office procedures need to stop. No at-home kit is as effective in whitening a patient's teeth as an in-office procedure. You need to realize that cosmetic dentists have access to much higher concentrations of carbamide peroxide that those available in over-the-counter products. We are not trying to say that over-the-counter products are ineffective, but rather that they are not as effective as professional treatments. If you want quick and significant results, stop pouring money into at-home kits and begin saving for a professional treatment. Simple as that.
We hope this has gone a long way in doing away with some of the misconceptions many of you share. It is very easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding tooth whitening, and along the way you naturally pick up bits of misinformation. We are trying to set the record straight, and will continue to make such postings as necessary. We are trying to represent this procedure in a purer light.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Whitening Safety
The cosmetic dentistry industry makes it out to look as if teeth whitening is a perfectly safe procedure. In most cases, it is. However, there are some important facts that you as a consumer should know before venturing out in search of providers. There are a number of things the industry fails to mention, which can stir many problems given the right circumstances.
To begin, you need no special qualifications to perform a whitening procedure. Any general dentist may perform teeth whitening, regardless of his/her experience in performing such a procedure. As such, you need to conduct an extra amount of research when compiling a list of dentists to ensure that prospective ones have a solid track record of providing clients with the whitening treatment they desire. Talk to any dentist you're considering and see if he can furnish you with any pictures of past clients. This will help you in gauging his/her ability. Further, try to talk to your friends to see where they got whitening procedures done. You may be able to find the dentist for you.
An important piece of advice is not to chase after dentist's that are offering the lowest prices. Not all dentists are created equal in respect to their ability to successfully perform a whitening procedure. Some are better than others. Not that we are trying to dissuade you to do a little bargain hunting, but rather, we are discouraging you from being blind-sighted by merely low price. You need to take a very holistic look at a particular doctor before finally settling with his/her services.
The internet can be a wonderful resource in helping you find a doctor that's well-versed in whitening procedures. There are numerous review sites that feature reviews posted by actual patients. You can read these reviews to getting a feel for a dentist's track record.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself from falling victim to teeth whitening malpractice is to shop around carefully for a dentist, one who's as qualified as possible in administering the procedure. It is a very bad idea to cut corners during this process as it could cost you your oral well-being. Check and double check each and every dentist before settling on his/her services.
To begin, you need no special qualifications to perform a whitening procedure. Any general dentist may perform teeth whitening, regardless of his/her experience in performing such a procedure. As such, you need to conduct an extra amount of research when compiling a list of dentists to ensure that prospective ones have a solid track record of providing clients with the whitening treatment they desire. Talk to any dentist you're considering and see if he can furnish you with any pictures of past clients. This will help you in gauging his/her ability. Further, try to talk to your friends to see where they got whitening procedures done. You may be able to find the dentist for you.
An important piece of advice is not to chase after dentist's that are offering the lowest prices. Not all dentists are created equal in respect to their ability to successfully perform a whitening procedure. Some are better than others. Not that we are trying to dissuade you to do a little bargain hunting, but rather, we are discouraging you from being blind-sighted by merely low price. You need to take a very holistic look at a particular doctor before finally settling with his/her services.
The internet can be a wonderful resource in helping you find a doctor that's well-versed in whitening procedures. There are numerous review sites that feature reviews posted by actual patients. You can read these reviews to getting a feel for a dentist's track record.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself from falling victim to teeth whitening malpractice is to shop around carefully for a dentist, one who's as qualified as possible in administering the procedure. It is a very bad idea to cut corners during this process as it could cost you your oral well-being. Check and double check each and every dentist before settling on his/her services.
Teeth Whitening Overview
Hi everyone. I welcome you to my teeth whitening blog. Before we begin diving head-first into this subject, I wanted to give you guys a bit of an overview as to what exactly teeth whitening is and how it can help you. There is a substantial amount of hype being spoken about this particular procedure amongst those in the cosmetic dentistry industry, and thus, I wanted to give everyone a more honest look into what the procedure entails and what sort of cost they can expect to piggyback.
Teeth whitening is a procedure that was introduced into the industry not too long ago. Most of these tooth whitening procedures make use of a chemical known as carbamide peroxide. Those of you who know a thing or two about chemistry should be able to tell that it is closely related to hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide works by penetrating the surface of you teeth. Since teeth are porous, this isn't much of a problem. Once inside, the peroxide begins lightening the color of the teeth, to the point that they are a very bright white.
How long does this procedure take? Well, most whitening procedures are completed within an hour. You might be wondering what goes on during this hour long procedure. Basically, you the minute you walk into the dentist's office for your appointment, you are seated into a chair. The dentist will prepare a mouthguard for you containing the peroxide we discussed earlier. The peroxide is applied to the mouthguard is placed on your teeth and allowed to work its wonders. Some of these procedures make use of a special light to activate the bleaching agent. Once you're setup, the dentist will allow you to sit and wait. This can get extremely boring, as anyone would imagine, thus you need to find something you can occupy your time with.
After the hour is up, the dentist will remove the guard from your teeth and will allow you to take a peek at what he/she has done. The results should be immediate and are almost always spectacular. Your teeth should be several shades whiter. Your dentist will likely tell you that the whitening effect will amplify in the coming days, and fortunately, this is almost always the case. You may also be given some of the whitening gel and a mouthguard for some at-home applications.
There is some noticeable caveats to the tooth whitening procedure. One of them is that it can be costly. Most of the in-office, professional procedures will start at about $500. However, you cannot compare such procedures to the products available at your local pharmacy for $100. You really do get what you pay for. The next downfall comes in the form of whitening longevity, as I would like to call it. The whitening results obtained with a whitening procedure are not permanent. They will fade with time. You can circumvent such fading by improving or maintaining your dental regimen, however, your teeth will eventually return to their original shade. Teeth whitening patients need schedule followup visits to guarantee their smile will continue looking as amazing as it first did.
Paying for whitening can indeed be difficult, as dental insurance companies almost always consider this procedure to be elective. Fortunately, you can try some at-home remedies such as including baking soda in your brushing regimen to see if they help improve the color of your teeth. Sure, these methods won't compare to professional-grade whitening, but they will buy you some time to gather up the necessary funds.
Teeth whitening is a procedure that was introduced into the industry not too long ago. Most of these tooth whitening procedures make use of a chemical known as carbamide peroxide. Those of you who know a thing or two about chemistry should be able to tell that it is closely related to hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide works by penetrating the surface of you teeth. Since teeth are porous, this isn't much of a problem. Once inside, the peroxide begins lightening the color of the teeth, to the point that they are a very bright white.
How long does this procedure take? Well, most whitening procedures are completed within an hour. You might be wondering what goes on during this hour long procedure. Basically, you the minute you walk into the dentist's office for your appointment, you are seated into a chair. The dentist will prepare a mouthguard for you containing the peroxide we discussed earlier. The peroxide is applied to the mouthguard is placed on your teeth and allowed to work its wonders. Some of these procedures make use of a special light to activate the bleaching agent. Once you're setup, the dentist will allow you to sit and wait. This can get extremely boring, as anyone would imagine, thus you need to find something you can occupy your time with.
After the hour is up, the dentist will remove the guard from your teeth and will allow you to take a peek at what he/she has done. The results should be immediate and are almost always spectacular. Your teeth should be several shades whiter. Your dentist will likely tell you that the whitening effect will amplify in the coming days, and fortunately, this is almost always the case. You may also be given some of the whitening gel and a mouthguard for some at-home applications.
There is some noticeable caveats to the tooth whitening procedure. One of them is that it can be costly. Most of the in-office, professional procedures will start at about $500. However, you cannot compare such procedures to the products available at your local pharmacy for $100. You really do get what you pay for. The next downfall comes in the form of whitening longevity, as I would like to call it. The whitening results obtained with a whitening procedure are not permanent. They will fade with time. You can circumvent such fading by improving or maintaining your dental regimen, however, your teeth will eventually return to their original shade. Teeth whitening patients need schedule followup visits to guarantee their smile will continue looking as amazing as it first did.
Paying for whitening can indeed be difficult, as dental insurance companies almost always consider this procedure to be elective. Fortunately, you can try some at-home remedies such as including baking soda in your brushing regimen to see if they help improve the color of your teeth. Sure, these methods won't compare to professional-grade whitening, but they will buy you some time to gather up the necessary funds.
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