Everything You Need to Know About Whitening Your Teeth

Your smile may not be as vibrant as it uses to be. Perhaps with all the years of drinking soda, coffee, and tea and eating citrus and tomato-based products, your teeth have gone from pearly white to a worn-out, unappealing yellow.

Now you feel self-conscious about your smile and about it giving away your age.

When you look at your teeth, whitening them may be the first thing you think of.

Before committing to a teeth whitening system, you must know there are two main types of teeth whitening (or bleaching) systems: at-home treatments and professional teeth whitening.

While most people opt for the at-home whitening that you can find at a local store because it is cheaper and one can do it in the privacy of his or her own home, it tends to offer limited results and often isn’t strong enough to remove the deep, stubborn teeth stains.

Professional whitening does a better job of removing those tough teeth stains. In-office teeth whitening also provides immediate, noticeable results that last longer. It does cost a little more than at-home teeth whitening, but it isn’t as expensive as you might think it is.

Our Teeth Whitening Process

There are multiple methods of professional teeth whitening. One common way is when the dentist applies teeth whitening gel, followed by exposing the teeth to a UV light to activate the whitening gel in the office.

Another form of professional teeth whitening is through custom bleaching trays. This is the teeth whitening method you’ll find here at Lincoln Dental Associates. We’ll take impressions of all your teeth on your upper and lower jaws to custom-make your personal teeth bleaching trays. We’ll also give you Opalescence whitening gel to put into the trays and you can still have professional results in the comfort of your own home.

This effective way of bleaching or whitening teeth has proven to be very popular among patients who not only like its effectiveness, but that it can be done whether you’re at home, sitting at your desk in the office, or traveling.

On average, it takes just two weeks for patients to see noticeably whiter smiles. Our tray system is also competitively priced and affordable, making a brighter, whiter smile more of a reachable reality.

How Does Teeth Bleaching Work?

Most teeth bleaching or whitening products contain the active ingredient carbamide peroxide. This ingredient breaks down to form hydrogen peroxide which works to remove stains both on the surface of teeth and deep stains within teeth. For the hydrogen peroxide to reach stains, it seeps into the tooth enamel.

Teeth Bleaching and Tooth Sensitivity

It isn’t uncommon for patients to experience some amount of tooth sensitivity and discomfort during and immediately after the teeth whitening process.

The tooth sensitivity is the result of the nerves inside the teeth getting exposed as the hydrogen peroxide break through the tooth enamel.

The concentration of hydrogen peroxide is higher in our professional teeth whitening treatment than in an at-home teeth whitening kit you can buy at the store.

As a result, you may feel temporary teeth sensitivity after using our teeth bleaching trays. Besides tooth sensitivity, patients may also experience irritation of their gums, the pulp of teeth, the roots of teeth, and sensitivity on other soft tissue of the oral cavity.

The amount of sensitivity and discomfort will be determined by the bleaching method and product used as well as the individual patient’s response to the whitening process.

The tooth sensitivity should not last more than a few days after treatment. To help ease the discomfort of sensitive teeth, we recommend patients do the following:

• Space out one’s bleaching treatments
• Avoid prolonged teeth whitening
• Use toothpaste or prescribed teeth gel for teeth sensitivity
• Gently brush your teeth with a soft-bristled brush and lukewarm water
• Avoid or limit your intake of hot or cold foods and drinks

Professional teeth whitening, or bleaching provides the fast, long-lasting result you’re looking for at a price that is less than you’d expect. With Lincoln Dental Associates, you’ll be able to conveniently whiten your teeth wherever you’re most comfortable.

If you want a younger, more vibrant smile, contact us today to schedule an appointment and see if our professional teeth whitening in Lincoln NE is the right solution for you.