Your Questions About Tooth Whitening

Question: How did my teeth get so yellow?
Answer: Over the years, like almost everyone, you’ve experienced a natural buildup of organic pigments on your teeth. Colorized proteins from coffee, tea, and other foods have simply darkened the natural whiteness of your teeth. The use of tobacco, antibiotics, and certain minerals usually speeds the darkening process. But, yellowing can be easily reversed.

Question: Is whitening safe?
Answer: Whitening is gentle and safe when supervised by your dentist. In fact, dentist-supervised whitening has been done for nearly a century, but has increased in popularity in recent years as yellowed teeth are becoming less and less acceptable, both socially and professionally. Procedures have been simplified and shown to be safe.

Question: What about those over-the-counter products?
Answer: The “boil-and-bite” trays used by the over-the-counter products overlap soft tissue producing more irritation. They also feel bulky in your mouth. This results in discomfort and possible TMJ problems.
A dentist-designed tray is less bulky. It conforms more closely to the natural contours of the teeth, is far more comfortable, and assures a superior result.

Question: Who can use tooth whitening?
Answer: Nearly anyone ages nine to 90. If you want to obtain a more confident smile by improving the whiteness of your teeth, talk to us.