If you’re trying to boost your confidence when talking to patients or co-workers, are getting ready for a special occasion, or just want a smile that matches the way you feel, there are several ways to do so. Instead of taking your chances on over-the-counter whitening products to potentially result in uneven or unpredictable results, Prostho Endo Dental Group has taken the extra step of providing their patients with take-home whitening kits. This option allows for convenience, safety, and comfort at home, all while you get the benefit of working with our caring dentists. Our dentists have a good understanding of your teeth, restorations, sensitivity, and smile goals, which makes taking the next step towards a brighter smile an accessible option in your North Bethesda, MD schedule.
Professional Whitening On Your Schedule
Take-home whitening is great for people who would prefer to gradually whiten their teeth on their own schedule. Instead of scheduling one in-office whitening appointment, our dentists have provided take-home kits that you can complete on your schedule, based on our dentists’ instructions. This can be ideal for people with busy work, family life, travel, or other activities.
At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we start by discussing with you the specific goals you have for your smile. Some people may want to whiten because they are tired of stained teeth from a history of drinking coffee, tea, or wine, or from the natural aging process. Other people may want their smile to look its best before a big event or to maintain the results of a previous whitening treatment. Understanding exactly what you’re looking to achieve helps our dentists decide if an at-home treatment can be right for you and your specific smile.
Custom Trays For Consistent Results
A major benefit of using take-home whitening products is the use of custom trays. Unlike one-size-fits-all trays you might pick up at the pharmacy or whitening strips, the trays we provide you are custom-made and can fit your teeth comfortably. This helps the gel remain in better contact with your teeth as well as prevent it from contacting your gums more than it should.
Furthermore, a well-fitting tray will help your results be more even. Strips can be prone to shifting or folding onto themselves, not to mention the difficulty of certain teeth being harder to reach than others. Using custom-made trays, your smile can become brighter and more even by having the whitening gel applied more precisely. This is especially helpful for people who have irregularities in their tooth alignment, teeth that are spaced oddly, or other areas that are hard to treat without custom whitening trays.
Gradual Brightening With Professional Oversight
Taking time to gradually whiten your teeth is beneficial. This allows you and your teeth to acclimate to the whitening process and ensures that you are getting the results you desire. Our dentists will provide you with a guide about how often you should be wearing your trays, how much gel to use on each side, as well as what signs to look for to know your gums are not being irritated.
Since all of our patients are different, it is important to get professional oversight when trying to whiten your smile. Existing restorations, as well as existing enamel characteristics, can help determine how whitening should be done. Fillings, crowns, veneers, and other dental restorations do not whiten like natural teeth. To ensure that you are getting optimal whitening results, our dentists will evaluate your smile, potentially take photos, or even run x-rays. In doing so, we can help you better whiten your smile.
Maintaining Results After In-Office Whitening
Take-home whitening kits can also be beneficial for maintaining the results of a whitening treatment received in the office. Once your teeth have whitened, it only takes a few drinks of coffee a day to start building the staining back up again. A personalized home kit offers a quick fix to refresh your smile whenever you want to maintain the brightness.
This works particularly well for coffee drinkers, tea drinkers, or those who love consuming red wine, berries, and heavily colored sauces. You don’t need to wait until the stain is bad again; instead, the more often you get a touch-up, the longer your whiter smile stays brighter. Our team can help determine how regularly a patient needs to do touch-ups by considering the patient’s diet, tooth enamel, and smile expectations.
Take-Home Whitening Vs. Whitening Strips, Toothpaste, & In-Office
Whitening toothpaste may remove some surface stains, but it doesn’t typically lighten the internal color of your teeth. Whitening strips available in stores may provide some improvement, but they don’t offer the same fit, concentration, or customization as a professional take-home kit. In-office whitening is often the preferred choice for patients who want faster results in one treatment.
Taking at-home whitening gives patients more power over the speed of their whitening, and is a more comfortable choice for those who want to go slowly. At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we help our patients understand the differences and decide which option is best for them.
A Professional Take-Home Kit Is Simple & Safe
Whitening is meant to be simple, but it should also be safe. If you use too much whitening gel, whiten your teeth too often, or use a product that doesn’t work for you, you may experience gum irritation, increased tooth sensitivity, or poor results. Your professional take-home kit eliminates much of this uncertainty.
Our team will provide instructions that help you properly apply your trays. We’ll explain what you may experience when whitening and when you should stop or contact us. These instructions are one of the reasons many of our take-home whitening patients prefer our product over experimenting with many over-the-counter items.
Whitening Sensitivity & How To Manage It
Whitening sensitivity can occur, especially in those who already experience sensitivity to hot or cold or have teeth with enamel loss. However, sensitivity related to whitening can often be treated with the right guidance. Our team can adjust the frequency and duration of your whitening sessions or the concentration of the whitening gel as necessary.
We may suggest taking breaks in between sessions, using a sensitivity toothpaste, not drinking ice-cold beverages, or taking a break if you have discomfort. Our goal is to help you whiten your teeth while not straying from your comfort zone. By monitoring the patient’s response during treatment, we can try to make whitening predictable and comfortable.
Long-Term Smile Care
A brighter smile is easier to maintain if it is accompanied by a mindful daily routine. Brushing and flossing, professional dental cleanings, and being mindful of which foods and drinks you consume can help extend your results. Rinsing with water after coffee or tea, using a straw, and keeping up to date with dental check-ups can all help.
At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we view teeth whitening as part of overall oral hygiene. We don’t want our patients to just leave with a brighter smile, but instead to learn how to protect their smile and maintain it. For patients in North Bethesda, MD, Prostho Endo Dental Group’s take-home whitening is an individualized, dentist-led way to brighten your smile in a comfortable, straightforward way that you can follow for a lifetime.