Libby Dentist

What is Professional Teeth Whitening?

Professional teeth whitening is a dental treatment that is done to remove stains and discolorations from teeth and do an overall “deep clean” of the surface of each tooth. Pearly whites are much sought after, and nothing beats professional teeth whitening! If you want to have a beautiful, bright, white smile, professional teeth whitening is a must. At Sterling Dental, we offer our patients the option to have professional teeth whitening done to increase their oral health and general self-esteem.

Professional Teeth Whitening vs. At Home Whitening

With all the talk of teeth whitening procedures and treatments, both at home treatments and treatments at the dentist’s office, it can be difficult to know which one is better. After all, isn’t professional teeth whitening more or less the same thing as at home whitening? Actually, it’s not! Both, of course, aim toward the same goal and achieve similar end results, but professional teeth whitening tends to be much more effective in both the short and long term. When you get your teeth whitened professionally, your teeth are more likely to end up truly white, and they’re also more likely to stay that way! That’s because dentists have the tools necessary to affect change quickly and efficiently when it comes to teeth whitening.

At home whitening comes with certain risks, including uneven whitening, gum irritation or damage, infections, chemical burns, damage to the enamel, and even physical illness due to accidental chemical ingestion. With the potential risks of at-home whitening, at Sterling Dental we encourage our patients to get professional teeth whitening because it’s a much safer and more effective treatment option. Read more to learn about the benefits of professional teeth whitening!

Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening

Professional teeth whitening comes with other benefits besides the obvious one of having a beautiful smile that you can be proud of. Beyond being able to finally have those wonderful white teeth, you can also know that the results will last longer and the treatment will be safer than if you’d done an at home treatment. Here are some of the benefits of professional teeth whitening:

Safe, comfortable, and fast

Professional teeth whitening involves a safe, comfortable, and fast treatment. Because your treatment will be done by a well-educated dentist who has your best interests in mind, the teeth whitening doesn’t carry the same safety risks as it might if you did a treatment at home. Plus, your dentist can help make sure that you’re comfortable during the entire process! Dr. McRae a Las Vegas dentist adds that going through a dentist for your teeth whitening, your dentist can help you avoid making your teeth really sensitive. Generally, a single professional teeth whitening treatment lasts about 1 hour and will only need to be repeated about one more time to be able to retain and do upkeep on the results.

Customized whitening just for you

Professional teeth whitening treatments are done just for you. Depending on how much added whiteness you want, your dentist can offer whitening treatments of different strengths to suit your personal needs and desires. And plus, because the whitening tray is custom-fitted to your mouth, there’s no need to worry about awkward fitting trays or misplaced gel. Your dentist takes care of those details for you to make sure your treatment is uniquely yours and you get the best possible results.

Long-term results

Only professional teeth whitening offers results that are long-lasting enough to be considered permanent. While another visit for additional treatment may be necessary at some point in the future, professional teeth whitening tends to last for a long time if you take good care of your teeth and avoid staining foods and drinks. This is a major benefit over the comparatively temporary results of at home whitening kits.

Increased self-esteem and a beautiful smile!

Last, but not least, professional teeth whitening can be an instant self-esteem boost! Most people who want to have whiter teeth don’t smile as much because they’re afraid of showing their stained teeth. As such, their self-esteem and happiness suffers. If you get professional teeth whitening done, you’ll feel an increase in your esteem almost instantly.

Get a professional opinion

Depending on the exact nature of certain stains or imperfections on your teeth, you may need something more than just professional teeth whitening. But, during your whitening appointment, your dentist will be able to determine which cosmetic dentistry treatments are necessary to improve the appearance of your smile. This is something that’s lacking when you only do an at-home whitening treatment!

Our patients at Sterling Dental have said that the benefits of professional teeth whitening are worth considering in comparison with those of at-home whitening. If you’re interested in getting professional teeth whitening, call us or come into our office today to set up an appointment!

The Professional Teeth Whitening Treatment

At Sterling Dental, our professional teeth whitening treatments only takes about an hour to finish, and our dentists and hygienists work hard to ensure a maximum of comfort and quality for each individual patient. The Zoom! Whitening treatment is commonly used, but other treatments that have hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide as their primary ingredient may also be used.

First, your dentist will assess the current whiteness of your teeth, and note it in your record. After this, they will determine which shades of white will look the best with your complexion and how white they can make your teeth based on the current whiteness of your teeth. At this point, you’ll be able to decide how white you’d like to make your teeth. After this has all been determined, the next step will begin!

A pumice stone will be used to smooth and polish the surface of your teeth. This stone also removes plaque, so your mouth will get a bit of cleaning at the same time! Next, your dentist will use gauze and refractors to keep your teeth dry and protect your gums, cheeks, lips, and tongue from the whitening solution during the process. The gumline in particular is protected, and a barrier may be used for extra protection.

Then, your dentist will coat the front of each tooth carefully with the chosen whitening solution. When the solution has been applied, a curing light or laser will be pointed at your teeth to activate the solution and ensure maximum results. The solution will be left on for about 30 to 60 minutes and maybe reapplied from time to time, depending on the exact brand of whitening solution.

At the end of the treatment, your teeth will be rinsed and you will be given a fluoride mouthwash to ease any discomfort that may follow the whitening treatment. Our dentists at Sterling Dental make an effort to complete the whitening process in only one appointment, but some people may need to come in for more than one whitening treatment to achieve the desired results.