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Tooth Whitening
How can you brighten your smile?
Perhaps an important event is coming up - a wedding or an important family photograph and you want your smile to look its best. Whitening can give you a whiter brighter smile in only a few short days.
Whitening is successful for approximately 90% of patients. It will be most effective if your teeth are stained or darkened due to: aging, coffee, tea or smoking. Other types of stains do not respond as well.
What's involved?
Thin, clear, custom-fitted mouthguards called "trays" are made from a mold of your teeth. You put a small amount of flavored bleaching gel into the trays and place them over your teeth. You can wear the trays during the day for an hour each day. Most patients wear them to bed at night and bleach while they are sleeping. The trays are so thin and comfortable that they won't interfere with your sleep. On average two to three weeks are required to achieve desired results.
How long does it last?
Once the desired colour is achieved, lightness should last for approximately one to three years, depending on your diet. Often patients will do a "touch up" session once every few months or so just to keep their teeth their brightest.
Is it safe?
Only very rarely do patients have any ill side effects. The most common problem reported is sensitive teeth. This is very rare now with newer bleach formulations. However, should it occur it can almost always be alleviated by wearing the trays every second or third evening. All whitening products we use have received both the Canadian and American Dental Association seal of approval.
What should I expect?
We cannot predict how each person's teeth will respond to the bleaching therapy. Each patient is different. However, typically a dramatic improvement can be made for almost all patients. This is dependant on the type and severity of staining preset and how diligent you are in wearing your trays consistently. Bleaching will not lighten existing fillings or crowns.
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