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Seeing the dentist for routine six-month cleanings can help prevent the buildup of tooth stains. Always get a checkup twice a year at Indigo Dental!
To begin the process, you’ll come to Indigo Dental in Mauldin for a consultation with Dr. Meagan or Dr. Michael Crosland. They will examine your mouth, discuss your issues with your smile, and help you decide if teeth whitening is right for you. They will also recommend either in-office or take-home whitening.
In-office whitening offers the fastest results, and is done at our office. Dr. Michael or Dr. Meagan will clean your teeth, cover up your gums with a protective liquid, and use cheek retractors to protect your tongue and cheeks from the whitener. Then, they will apply whitener directly to your teeth, activate it with UV light, and rinse it away. This process will be repeated until your teeth reach the proper brightness.
To begin, Dr. Michael or Dr. Meagan will take molds of your teeth, and send these to a dental lab. You’ll come back in a few weeks to pick up a set of custom-built whitening trays. You will also get your set of professional whitening products, and instructions on how to use them. You’ll whiten your teeth for about an hour a day for 2-3 weeks. This is a great option if you have a busy schedule or simply would prefer to whiten your teeth at home.
Typically, the results of teeth whitening will last between 1-3 years, but this depends on your lifestyle habits, your oral hygiene, and a number of other factors. To prolong the lifespan of your new smile, we recommend doing things like cutting back on staining drinks like coffee and tea, quitting smoking, brushing and flossing regularly, and seeing the team at Indigo Dental for routine six-month teeth cleanings and oral exams.
Yes. Most patients will experience some minor sensitivity during and after the teeth whitening process. However, this is temporary, and will wear off a few days after your whitening is complete. Until then, you can take steps to prevent discomfort like avoiding hot and cold foods and drinks, brushing regularly with fluoride toothpaste, or switching to Sensodyne or a similar toothpaste designed to help with tooth sensitivity.
We usually recommend yearly teeth whitening touch-ups to keep your smile looking beautiful after your first appointment, but this can vary depending on your oral health. We recommend consulting with Dr. Michael or Dr. Meagan for more information, and to ensure you are not over-whitening your teeth. This is very important, since over-whitening can cause damage to your teeth and gums.
Teeth whitening is the process of bleaching the tooth enamel with peroxide. The active ingredient in whitening gels is either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. There are volatile oxygen molecules present in the peroxide which react with the staining molecules in your teeth. Because peroxide increases the porosity of the teeth, it can penetrate below the enamel, deeper into the tooth. Once it comes into contact with the bonds that hold onto staining molecules, it breaks them apart. The organic molecules in the teeth are then better able to reflect light again, creating a whiter appearance.
Yes, we do recommend that you get a dental cleaning before whitening your teeth for a few reasons. The first is that you want a clean surface to work with before applying a whitening agent that needs to penetrate through your enamel.
The second is that it removes plaque buildup, which is a sticky yellow substance that can cause discoloration of the teeth. The third is that it removes food particles and surface stains on the teeth.
After your cleaning, your teeth will be visibly whiter and this change may even be significant enough to decide you don’t need a whitening treatment after all. If you still decide that your teeth aren’t white enough, then you will ensure that they will be as white and clean as possible, as well as free from decay and gum disease.
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