FAQ's about Teeth Whitening
Please note: Results vary and the information below
is given to assist you in making an informed decision. Neither dentist.net
nor the manufacturers guarantee any particular result.
Teeth Whitening
Instructions | Opalescence Gel
Questions
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What tooth whitening choices are there if I
am interested in whitening my teeth?
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Is bleaching safe or does it damage the tooth?
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What are the side effects of tooth whitening?
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I have sensitive teeth all the time. What causes
this and can this be treated?
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How long will it take for teeth to become their
whitest?
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How long will the whitening results last?
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Why it is not recommended to bleach your teeth
or use white strips while pregnant or nursing?
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Will bleaching gel whiten my veneers, caps
(crowns) and bonding?
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What brand of bleaching system/gel does dentist.net
recommend?
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What is the shelf life and
wearing time of bleaching gel?
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What do the different bleaching
percentages mean?
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Which bleaching gel works
the best i.e. faster?
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How many bleaching syringes
do I need to buy in order to whiten my teeth?
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What is the difference between
carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide bleaching gel?
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How long I should refrain
from coffee and red wine after bleaching?
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Will teeth whiten to the
same degree on everyone?
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The area of the teeth near
the gums is still not as white as the rest of the tooth?
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I just started bleaching
and it looks uneven with white spots and blotchiness. Should
I continue bleaching or stop?
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How long do you recommend
using the bleaching gel?
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I have tetracycline (grayish)
stained teeth and want to whiten my teeth!
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How long can I try and bleach
my tetracycline-stained teeth?
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Is taking my own molds be
a problem if I have a bridge and/or an orthodontic wire glued
to the back of front teeth?
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My kids have white "spotty"
teeth. Will whitening gel be of help?
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Zoom has only 6% hydrogen
peroxide while Day White comes in both a 7.5% and 9.5%. Surely
that means that Day White is stronger?
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What is the difference between
Opalescence F and Opalescence?
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It is very difficult to
spread the bleach in my custom whitening trays. Do you have
any suggestions for distributing the gel more evenly?
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How do you prevent the bleach
from oozing out between applications?
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Can I order an upper bleaching
tray only? I have the molds.
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During bleaching my gums
were burning, leaving several areas of my gums white. Is this
due to overfilling?
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Will Crest Whitestrips
also cause tooth sensitivity?
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What will refrigeration
do to the bleaching gel?
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I accidentally left the
bleaching gel on too long and now my teeth are rough. Did I
cause enamel damage?
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I have
been brushing my teeth with baking soda and now
I have sensitive teeth. It is not due to gum
disease or recession. What products do you
recommend?
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1. What tooth whitening choices are there
if I am interested in whitening my teeth?
There are a number of different ways to whiten teeth. There are
two main choices. One is professional bleaching which requires visiting
a dentist and the second is over the counter whitening i.e. buying
it from a retail store or through the internet.
Different ways to bleach teeth:
- Chair-side bleaching, which involves getting your teeth
bleached in usually a single dental visit at a dentist or a
much publicized whitening center like
Britesmile and
Zoom.
- There are 2 kinds of At-home-tray whitening systems.
- Tray-less Whitening using
Crest Whitening Strips
or a paint on gel like Colgate Simply
White.
Chair-side bleaching can be done in two ways. The dentist
uses a very strong bleaching agent alone or in combination with
a light/laser. With both, the dentist cleans your teeth with a sandy,
pumice-like material to remove plaque and cleans the surface of
the tooth. Then a peroxide-based gel is applied after which a light
may be applied to assist the whitening process. Most gels are self-activating
and others are activated and by the use of a light. The laser does
NOT whiten teeth. It merely activates the bleaching gel and initiates
the chemical reaction that produces the whitening effect (the laser
doesn't actually penetrate the teeth). The procedure takes about
an hour and a half and offers immediate results, although it may
take more than one session to achieve the desired level of bleaching.
The most publicized chair side whitening procedures:
Other less well know chair side Bleaching systems include:
- Opalescence Extra Boost
- Rembrandt Sapphire System
- LumaArch
- Lasersmile
The at-home bleaching tray methods require a fitted mouth
tray (bleaching tray) to hold the bleaching gel against the tooth
either overnight or hourly depending on the strength of the bleach
dispensed. In the past, this bleaching tray was fabricated only
by a dentist. Today, these custom trays can also be ordered via
the internet. You take the mold of your teeth and mail the molds
to a dental lab who fabricates the trays and mails them back to
you. The turn-around time is approx. 2-3 weeks. Alternatively, the
boil n bite trays bypass having to wait for them to be mailed but
are more bulky and don’t fit as well. You mold the trays against
your teeth yourself after placing the thermoform trays in boiling
water for a few minutes to soften it. Dentist.net recommends you visit
your dentist before whitening to make sure that you don't have any
cavities or any other limitations that would compromise your tooth
whitening results.
There are also tray-less over-the-counter options available
for tooth whitening. These are the Crest Tooth Whitening Strips,
Colgate Simply White, Britesmile whitening pen etc. Crest whitening
strips maybe a better option for those who don’t want to wear a
tray. These strips are more difficult to keep in place especially
on the lower teeth while the paint on whitening needs be kept dryish
to adhere and prevent wash-out.
No matter which method you choose, how white your teeth will get depends
on what color they are to begin with and the source of the discoloration.
Brown or yellow teeth (often the result of superficial staining
caused by smoking, coffee, and tea) will usually get whiter. Gray
teeth (caused not by stains but by pigment deep inside the tooth)
will lighten less, sometimes not at all. Results cannot be guaranteed.
To determine the initial color of your teeth, compare them to a
sheet of bright white computer paper held up to your mouth.
Chairside bleaching is the fastest but also the most expensive,
anywhere from $4-$600 per session and usually requires more than
one session for maximum results. Take-home bleaching kits average
around $300 from the dentist, less costly online and can be used
with your own schedule. Over-the-counter options, as you might expect,
are the least expensive, but are thought per dentists to be less
effective. Recent research has shown white strips to be as effective.
The most common side effect of any of these procedures is sensitivity
to hot and cold, but that lasts only while you are using the bleach
and tends to persist for 1-2 days afterwards.
If there's little chance that you'll remember to pop in
a mouth tray every night, or if you are impatient to see results,
chair side bleaching may be a better option for you. This method
also allows the dentist to treat teeth individually, which is ideal
if you have veneers or teeth that vary in shade.
With proper aftercare, whitened teeth can stay bright
for a few years. To keep your smile bright as long as possible,
try these easy tips:
- Follow the "white teeth diet" Drink white wine instead
of red wine, cappuccino instead of espresso, and grapefruit
juice instead of cranberry juice.
- Use "whitening" toothpaste with a mild abrasive or
peroxides (for example: Opalescence toothpaste, Supersmile ,
ZOOM Whitening Toothpaste and most of the over-the-counter "Whitening
Toothpastes" on a daily basis.
Tooth whitening instructions -
Teeth Whitening Instructions
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2. Is bleaching safe or does it damage the
tooth?
To our knowledge nothing detrimental has been documented and
microscopic research shows no changes to the tooth surface with
use of 10% bleaching solution. Most research available was initially
done with a 10% concentration. There is no literature that we have
come across showing any structural changes or irreversible damage
to the tooth structure whatsoever.
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3. What are the side effects of tooth whitening?
All bleaching gel causes some degree of tooth sensitivity. This
is sensitivity to cold/hot fluids and even air can cause discomfort.
This is normal and an expected side effect. Some of the brands of
bleaching gel contain desensitizing agents which claim to alleviate
post bleaching sensitivity. From customer feedback, this doesn’t
seem to be noticeably effective. All bleaching causes tooth sensitivity
and we recommend to either discontinue use for a few days and the
sensitivity will dissipate within 24-48 hrs. Don’t be concerned
as bleaching does not need to be done consecutively. You will get
to the same whitening point, it will just take a little longer.
A better alternative option is to use
Dr. Collins Desensitizing Gel
which is applied after bleaching in the same manner as the bleach.
For maximum benefit use the
Dr. Collins Desensitizing Gel
or UltraEZ overnight. Using a desensitizing toothpaste like
Sensodyne or any of the over the counter toothpastes containing
potassium nitrate as the active ingredient will help.
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4. I have sensitive teeth all the time. What
causes this and can this be treated?
Are your teeth sensitive from using bleaching gel? - Try
Dr. Collins Desensitizing Gel .
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5. How long will it take for teeth to become
their whitest?
Results vary. Some teeth whiten dramatically in just a few days,
while others can take a few months. The majority of people whiten
within 2-3 weeks. The more yellow versus gray color you have
in your teeth, the better the bleaching. Grey enamel similar to
that of Tetracycline (antibiotic) staining is more difficult to
bleach and can take a few months to achieve a result.
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6. How long the whitening will results last?
Generally, immediately after bleaching, the color will fade slightly
and then remain stable for approx. 6 months to a year, sometimes
longer. It is recommended for maintenance to touch up your smile
every 4-6 months with 1-2 applications.
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7. Why it is not recommended to bleach your
teeth or use whitestrips while pregnant or nursing?
No research has been done into bleaching teeth while nursing
or pregnant, so manufacturers for liability reasons recommend NOT
to bleach while pregnant or nursing.
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8. Will bleaching gel whiten my veneers, caps
(crowns) and bonding?
All bleaching agents used to whiten teeth will only work on natural
tooth structure. This means that all dental work including but not
limited to bonding, veneers, crowns (caps) and bridges will NOT
bleach or whiten. All dental work would need to be replaced to match
the newly whitened teeth.
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9. What brand of bleaching system/gel does
dentist.net recommend?
There is no objective research at the present time comparing
the different tooth whitening systems or the effectiveness of various
bleaching gels currently available. They all work, some bleaching
gels just gets you there quicker. They will all eventually get you
to the same bleaching plateau (maximum whitening). Results vary,
some teeth whiten very well as others show minimal changes no matter
what product is used. We recommend to stay with a brand or strength
that has worked for you and to maybe try another brand or strength
if you are unhappy with your current bleaching results. Ultimately
the choice of bleach agent is really a personal one.
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