Tooth Whitening
San Diego, California
A bright, white smile draws interested attention. Since most people are drawn to a bright smile, you could find yourself becoming more confident in social and work situations. It's easy to see why tooth whitening is such a popular cosmetic dental treatment.
Have you tried over-the-counter tooth whitening products? You might think, “Why not just do it myself, at less cost?” But here are some caveats.
- An over-the-counter (OTC) tooth whitening kit has weaker whitening gel than we use, so it will be less effective.
- The OTC kits have generic trays for applying the gel to your teeth. They will almost certainly not fit your individual teeth, and therefore will give uneven results: whiter where the gel was in close contact and less white where it was in looser contact.
- Whitening toothpaste is ineffective because our teeth only whiten while they’re in contact with the whitening agent. We don’t brush our teeth for long enough each day to get noticeable results from this method.
- Whitening toothpaste is harmful to your teeth in the long run because it contains abrasive ingredients such as baking soda, which gradually scrape off your tooth enamel and make your teeth more yellow. The tooth layer beneath enamel is the dentin, which is yellow.
Two basic methods a cosmetic dentist can use
- An in-office treatment, such as we do with the Zoom! Whitening System.
A special gel is applied to your teeth. It contains a bleaching agent. A laser is used to activate this agent, which then whitens your teeth. In about an hour, this sequence is done three times, and afterwards you will be astounded at the difference. - A take-home kit
We will create two custom trays for you, and give you a kit containing several syringes of professional-strength whitening gel. At home, you place a small drop of gel into each tooth space in the trays. You can wear the trays overnight, or for 30 or 40 minutes some time during the day. The whitening agent is activated as you squeeze it out of the syringe, and it stays active for 30-40 minutes. It doesn’t hurt to wear the trays all night, but it won’t whiten your teeth more quickly, since the gel stops working after 30-40 minutes.
Whichever method you choose, the end result will be a beautiful, bright, smile that will make you look younger and healthier.
You can read more on our Tooth Whitening Questions page.
If you have yellow, brown or otherwise stained teeth, contact us today for a complimentary consultation. Whitening, when done professionally, is not only completely safe, it's excitingly effective.
Contact Us
The Dentist that Makes You Smile!
3830 Valley Center Drive, Suite 702
San Diego, CA 92130
