Dr. Robert Halle DMD - A family practice specializing in cosmetic dentistry and preventative treatment. Located in Huntington

Bleaching or whitening is a painless, safe procedure, which does not involve anesthetics or cutting down teeth to achieve a desired cosmetic change. In addition, it is the least expensive aesthetic procedure in cosmetic dentistry. Most importantly, the treatment itself is efficient, effective, and lasts indefinitely although touch-ups are sometimes necessary. It must be emphasized that bleaching is a procedure, which will only lighten teeth or remove stains. It is not a procedure that will turn your teeth “snow white.”

As part of understanding bleaching and its uses, it is important to understand how teeth become stained or discolored. It is also important to realize that we encounter agents that discolor our teeth everyday. Vital or alive teeth become discolored and stained through food, coffee, tea, smoking and chewing tobacco. In addition, some individuals have a genetic propensity toward darker teeth or teeth which stain rapidly. Teeth also become stained through physiologic changes associated with aging or through systemic medications such as Tetracycline. In other instances, individuals will find their teeth discolored after trauma to the tooth that results in bleeding within the nerve or the death of the nerve pulp inside the tooth. Lastly, bleaching is also often employed in a treatment plan in which porcelain and composite restorations are used as a means of achieving a uniform result.

In-Office Bleaching. The teeth are cleaned, isolated and we apply a protective gel to your gums to protect the oral soft tissues. A bleaching gel is then applied to the teeth, usually 3 eight-minute applications. The total procedure usually is completed in 1-1 ½ hours. Results with this method are fast and often dramatic. However, they may require touch-up bleaching sooner for some people, compared with tray bleaching. For this reason we recommend tray fabrication as well to maintain your whiter smile.

At- Home Tray Bleaching. We take impressions to make a mold of your teeth. Very thin and comfortable trays are custom fabricated for your mouth. The bleaching gel is placed in these trays and worn for 1 -2 hours per day. They may also be worn over night. Results are usually seen in within 1 week but may require 2-3 weeks or longer for full results, depending on the initial shade of the tooth. The advantage of this method is that the bleaching can be touched–up periodically to maintain the bleaching results as long as you have your trays. The best time to touch-up is after a regularly scheduled hygiene appointment. Usually 1 or 2 applications are sufficient to touch-up and maintain your results.

Both are safe, effective and performed using proven materials from companies with the finest reputations.

Lastly, it is important to understand that the agents used in a dental office to bleach or whiten teeth cannot be reproduced in over-the-counter kits, sprays or toothpastes. Very often kits or sprays that claim to whiten teeth are nothing more than a white paint. Use of such products is often detrimental to an individual’s overall appearance as uneven results are created, and the tooth color becomes an unnatural white. Additionally, the agents used in sprays and kits to change tooth color often create sensitivity in the gums or teeth. Toothpaste that claims to whiten teeth will not cause harm, but it will not produce any significant changes or remove major staining. I do recommend whitening toothpastes, however, as a means of maintaining the achieved results of bleaching.