A brighter smile might increase the confidence you feel when speaking, laughing, taking a picture, or meeting new people. At Prostho Endo Dental Group, the philosophy of our approach to teeth whitening is the same for all of our restorative, cosmetic, and endodontic dental services. We don’t just provide the lightest, brightest tooth color possible, but instead help patients in North Bethesda, MD choose a tooth whitening process that gives a clean, natural, and attractive smile. For special events, a refresh, or improving teeth that have naturally discolored over time, professional tooth whitening provides a more customized way of brightening your teeth.
Professional Tooth Whitening Designed Around Your Smile Goals
Every patient can have different goals for tooth whitening. You might want a more natural tooth color, or you might want to have a noticeably brighter shade of teeth before an event. Tooth whitening starts by establishing these goals and analyzing your existing tooth color, enamel, existing work, and sources of stain.
This is important because there are no universal rules of whitening. Patients with more pronounced staining, sensitivity, or work visible on the teeth might require a different whitening plan than the general approach to whitening gel. At Prostho Endo Dental Group, any recommendation for whitening is considered to ensure that the whitening process fits your smile and overall facial esthetics, gumline, and dental work.
In-Office Tooth Whitening For Immediate Results Immediate Results
In-office whitening is a good choice for patients who are hoping to achieve results over a relatively short period of time. In-office whitening uses professional-grade whitening products under supervised care, and the process and the soft tissue can be monitored.
For patients who have a busy schedule and want to achieve immediate results, in-office whitening might be the right choice. This is a common choice for patients who want to have a noticeable difference before a wedding, job interview, photoshoot, trip, or event. As the process is supervised, the treatment can be stopped at the desired brightness level to ensure that the whitening process results in a natural appearance.
Take-Home Whitening For Flexible Treatment
Tooth whitening with take-home systems is a convenient alternative to achieve teeth whitening over a gradual time period. Professional take-home tooth whitening systems are typically done with trays made specifically to fit the patient’s teeth. This allows for more uniform distribution of the whitening agent and can minimize excess contact with the gums.
For patients who want more control over their whitening progress and more flexibility, take-home whitening can be a good alternative, as you can do it at home around your work schedule, family activities, and daily routine. In addition, the patient and dental team can review the whitening results and use take-home whitening as needed, making take-home tooth whitening a practical approach in the long-term for achieving your whitening goals.
Why Professional Tooth Whitening Is Better Than Over-The-Counter Over-The-Counter
Teeth whitening products you buy at the store might be convenient, but the results are unpredictable because they’re not customized to your teeth. Whitening strips can be slippery, trays might not fit properly, and overuse can lead to sensitivity and changes in tooth color. These products do provide a way to remove some discoloration, but results might be unpredictable in terms of how the discoloration is removed.
Professional tooth whitening provides the following benefits over the shelf products:
- Whitening products can be chosen based on the condition of the enamel, sensitivity, or other goals for your smile.
- Whitening products can be applied more uniformly, and the end result is a more uniform shade.
- The dentist can check to see if the discoloration will respond to whitening before starting any treatment.
Work on the teeth can be evaluated to determine how it looks before or after whitening. This guidance helps patients save time that would be wasted on trial-and-error whitening, which often leads to disappointment, and increases the likelihood of attaining a truly bright smile that appears deliberate.
Making Your Bright Teeth Look Intentional
One of the most important things to recognize is the point at which teeth become too whitened to be aesthetically pleasing. If you whiten teeth too far, they might look flat, chalky or not fit your complexion. The desired result is not to remove all characteristics and natural structure of your teeth, but to whiten them in such a way that gives them more depth and translucency.
At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we think carefully about the balance of whiteness we want for each patient. Because whitening affects the natural color of your tooth enamel only, it may not match other tooth-colored restorative materials such as porcelain or composite. If you are considering whitening but have visible dental restorations, it is very helpful to talk to us first.
The Causes Of Discolored Teeth & How To Treat Them
Whitening does not treat the underlying causes of discoloration. For example, a lifestyle choice to drink tea or coffee, use tobacco, eat too many berries, or drink red wine can cause a person’s teeth to yellow over time. Teeth also yellow as patients age, due to the gradual loss of translucent enamel that exposes the more yellow dentin underneath them. Some discoloration can result from trauma or prior dental work, or can develop as a side effect of medication history.
In some cases, patients have a better cosmetic solution than whitening alone. In those cases, a cosmetic dentist will be happy to explain your options. A professional dental consultation helps you identify what is the appropriate cosmetic treatment for your unique discoloration is and helps you plan for the future rather than relying on a quick cosmetic fix.
A First Step In A Smile Makeover
Teeth whitening can be a great way to brighten your smile if you are considering cosmetic enhancements such as bonding, veneers, or cosmetic dentistry in the future. The most effective cosmetic enhancement plans complete teeth whitening prior to creating restorations so that they can be matched to a new, brighter color.
Because restorations will be matched to your current tooth color, patients who are considering veneers will want to complete their whitening first and wait at least two weeks to allow teeth to stabilize before we take final impression shade selections for veneers or other restorative treatments.
The timing of any treatment that affects the color of your teeth is important in planning a smile makeover, so if you are interested in a range of dental cosmetic treatments to restore your smile, we recommend talking to us about the best order of operations for your needs. Our dentists in North Bethesda, MD, are available to provide the most personalized service possible.
How To Help Keep Your Teeth Brighter
While it is important to note that teeth whitening is not a permanent cosmetic solution, it is also very important to understand that your dentist can help guide you on how to maintain your teeth after whitening. This includes advice that can be helpful in preventing the teeth from darkening again, and the maintenance you should expect of yourself and your cosmetic dentist.
If whitening is the best solution, we will discuss how to achieve optimal results in conjunction with other dental work you may be considering. We can discuss maintenance of whitening over time by periodically re-treating, the most effective method for doing so, and what to expect in the future. Maintaining whitening requires brushing, flossing, professional cleanings, and some awareness when eating or drinking foods or beverages that stain the teeth.
You may be advised to wear a retainer, to use a whitening pen to address the spots that are most easily discolored, and even to drink beverages such as coffee or tea through a straw or use whitening toothpaste or other cleaning products to slow down staining of your teeth.
Trust Prostho Endo Dental Group For Cosmetic Whitening
When you choose professional teeth whitening, you need to make sure that the results look great and the process is comfortable. Your smile is a big part of who you are. You should be sure to consult with someone who understands the importance of that and the way you should be treated for it.
Our approach to whitening is one that focuses on the details of your whitening shade, the health of your tooth enamel, any dental work you have done in the past, and your expectations for how to keep your whitening looking great. We look forward to helping you choose a whitening solution that makes sense for you and to helping you have a great new smile that you can be proud of in a way that feels natural.
We understand the value of your teeth and the importance of maintaining them in order to protect your smile for years to come. If you are interested in discussing your smile enhancement with the dentist in North Bethesda, MD, who will help you determine what whitening solutions you might want to pursue, please schedule an appointment today.