One of the most frequently question I get is “How do I get my teeth to become whiter?”  There are many products at the supermarkets and drug stores that promote the idea of have having white teeth as a top priority.  While having whiter teeth doesn’t mean your teeth are healthy, the color of your teeth is one of the first things most people notice.  Also, if you have cavities or exposed root surfaces using the whitening products can lead to teeth sensitivity or pain. 

It is important to have a dental examination to see if you have any cavities and gum disease before you start your teeth whitening.  Furthermore, your teeth whitening results will be greatly improved if you start your whitening process after you’ve had a professional teeth cleaning.  Your dental hygienist will remove plaque, tartar build-up, and tough stains that would normally prevents the whitening chemical (active ingredient) from interacting with the tooth surface.  By removing that barrier, your whitening chemical can perform the function that it is designed to do.

Let’s look at some common methods of Teeth Whitening:

Whitening Toothpaste

Whitening Strips

Paint on Whitening gels

Do It Yourself Whitening Trays

Custom Whitening Trays

Laser Whitening (Zoom Whitening and BriteSmile)

Deep Bleaching

After your teeth are whiten, you can use the custom tray whitening method to keep and touch up staining that might develop through eating/ drinking food that cause staining.