How Effective Is Teeth Whitening?

At the office of Steven C. Hewett, DDS in Champions Gate, FL, our goal is to help our patients achieve their healthiest teeth and the most beautiful smiles. We specialize in corrective dentistry, and among our services, we offer professional teeth whitening to help men and women achieve brighter, whiter teeth so they can feel more confident about the appearance of their teeth and their smiles.

How Effective Is Teeth Whitening?

Professional teeth whitening is very effective for patients who want to brighten their smiles. The process is efficient and safe and can transform the smile, make the whites of the eyes appear brighter, and enhance the overall appearance.

It’s significantly more effective than at-home whitening solutions because it’s performed by professionals who use advanced technology and a high concentration of whitening ingredients to safely remove stains and lighten teeth color by several shades.

What Can It Treat?

Professional teeth whitening can remove any stains and discoloration from the teeth, including age spots, dark spots, yellow or orange spotting, coffee, tea, and smoking stains, and stains from medication.

How Does It Work?

The first step in this treatment process is an initial consultation. We’ll meet with you to evaluate your teeth in person, discuss your treatment goals, and determine whether professional teeth whitening is the right choice for you. Then, we can review a tooth shade chart with you to identify the current color of your teeth and help you better understand how the process works so you can determine how much lighter you want your teeth to be post-treatment.

On the day of your appointment, we’ll prepare your teeth for the process, take all the necessary steps to protect your cheeks, gums, and tongue, and then apply the whitening agent for the required amount of time. Once this process is complete, any extra whitening solution will be removed, and you’ll be able to resume your normal daily activities.

Is There Any Downtime?

There’s no social downtime of any kind after your treatment is over. However, you will need to follow some post-treatment instructions to ensure you achieve the best possible results. After a professional tooth whitening treatment, your teeth will be more susceptible to staining, but you can avoid new stains by watching what you eat and drink and practicing excellent oral hygiene and care.

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

Most people only need one professional treatment to achieve their desired brightness level. However, your treatment plan will depend on the color of your teeth at the time of treatment and your goals. When we meet with you during your consultation, we can evaluate your teeth in person and give you more details about what you can expect from your unique treatment protocol.

Who Is a Good Candidate?

The best candidates for professional teeth whitening treatments are patients who want to whiten their natural tooth color by one or several shades to remove different types of stains, including aging stains, coffee and tea stains, food stains, and smoking stains.

The best candidates should have healthy tooth enamel and not have overly sensitive teeth or suffer from any type of mouth disease like periodontal disease. It’s not a good option for patients with severely worn tooth enamel or untreated tooth decay.

When Can I Expect Results?

After your treatment, you may see immediate results. It typically takes 24 hours to see the full effects of the process, and results may improve over time. We can give you more details about what to expect from your treatment at your initial consultation.

Is This Treatment More Effective Than At-Home Products?

There are many different at-home products that claim to whiten the teeth, but none are as effective as a professional whitening treatment. All these products can make your teeth appear whiter, but even still, it’s important to seek out the care of an expert who can safely and effectively help you achieve your goals. That way, you can feel confident about the treatment and results without worrying about an adverse reaction or unwanted results.

How Long Will My Results Last?

Professional teeth whitening treatments are designed to provide a long-lasting solution to achieve brighter teeth. However, aging and consuming different foods can affect the treatment results. You can take steps to live a healthier lifestyle and avoid certain foods and beverages after undergoing treatment to ensure long-lasting results.

Maintaining Whiter Teeth Long-Term

Professional teeth whitening treatments provide long-lasting results, but those results won’t last forever. However, there are some ways that you can extend the longevity of your results to maintain a brighter and whiter smile for as long as possible. Brushing your teeth at least twice daily and flossing regularly will keep them healthy and prevent tartar and plaque buildup on your enamel, which can detract from the results of your whitening treatment.

You can also avoid certain foods and beverages, or at least limit them. Consuming bright-colored foods, soft drinks, red wine, tea, and coffee can all increase the risk of tooth staining. By avoiding or limiting these foods and beverages, you can ensure long-lasting results. We can give you more details about how to maintain your results at your consultation.

Schedule Maintenance Treatments

If, at any point, you notice that your teeth have lost their whiter and brighter appearance after your treatment as a result of foods, beverages, or other factors beyond your control, we can schedule a maintenance treatment and address those stains with another whitening treatment. That way, you can restore your white, bright teeth.

Achieve Your Brightest, Whitest Smile

If aging, food, genetics, or other conditions have caused your teeth to appear darker than you’d like, professional teeth whitening can make all the difference in the appearance of your teeth and your confidence in your smile. If you want to learn more about this treatment, we can explain all the details of the treatment process and answer all your questions. Contact us today at the office of Steven C. Hewett, DDS, in Champions Gate, FL, to schedule a consultation.