Cosmetic Dentistry Trends: Having your Teeth Whitened Professionally

After decades of grinding your teeth, chomping on cud, and chewing tough steak, your once-pearly whites may have seen better days. The shiny finish of shimmering white enamel has diminished, revealing the natural yellow layer underneath. Add to that coffee, tea, red wine, and soda pop that have become lodged in minuscule cracks of your teeth. The result is that unattractive yellowish-brown tint that's made tooth whitening one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures in North America.

Whitening teeth by means of peroxide bleaching compounds has become a tremendously popular practice, both with dental patients and dentists alike. There are many variations on this whitening procedure, two of the broadest categories are professional teeth whitening treatments performed by a dentist in their office, and at-home teeth whitening. Here, we'll take a look at what happens in the chair of the cosmetic dentist.

Before the process of whitening is started, the patient should have a thorough cleaning to remove anything that may hinder or hamper the results. Stains and plaque should be removed. Then the dentist will employ a polishing agent to those soon to be pearly whites to add luster to the finished product.

Next, your cosmetic dentist will choose specific teeth they believe will benefit most from the whitening procedure as a whole. Many times it's individual teeth, sometimes it's all the uppers or all the lowers, and often it is all of the teeth.

Eye protection and a bib are usually placed on the recipient at this point to protect the patient from the caustic effects of the peroxide, and the high-intensity lamp used. Now it's time to rock and roll and so you can get the results you came to the dentist for.

A thick gel is then placed covering the area targeted to be whitened. This gel is usually transparent with little miniscule bubbles inside it. This is the active ingredient that will actually do the whitening. This gel is usually activated by a light source.

Believe it or not, the light source isn't at all uncomfortable or hot. There may be a slight burning sensation as the gel heats, but that's about it. Afterward, the gel is rinsed and voila—a beautiful, bright white smile!





Cosmetic dentistry procedures such as teeth whitening and can help enhance your smile. Speak with an experienced cosmetic dentist to learn more.