One procedure that we get many questions about is tooth whitening or "bleaching". The probably most FAQ is whether or not it’s harmful to the tooth. Numerous studies have determined that there is no permanent damage to teeth when performed in a prescribed regimen. So it is very safe. Tens of millions of whitening treatments have been accomplished over the last twenty plus years and incidences of harm would have become apparent by this time. Frankly, I have never heard of any or we would simply not have patients undergo the procedure.

The next FAQ we get about whitening is the best way to go. There are essentially three different approaches and they are all effective.

One is using the over-the-counter products. The advantage of these, and there are too many to enumerate here, is that one does not have to come to the office to obtain them. They are also much less costly than what we offer. The disadvantages are that they are much less concentrated and therefore less potent (resulting in what can be a much greater time period to get a result). That’s why they can be offered in a retail environment. They also may be limited in their coverage of the teeth. For instance, the Crest strips may only affect the front six or eight teeth.

The second is having trays custom made for your teeth and is known as "at-home whitening". That means our taking an impression of your teeth and molding thin plastic shells that hold the whitening solution which we dispense. The trays are worn one to two hours per day (or overnight). The advantages of this procedure are that we can monitor the progress and advise when to stop or continue. There are also several concentrations of the solution which can adjust the number of days spent whitening. Usually we see results within ten days to two weeks. This approach is more expensive than the over-the-counter products but less so than the third. The disadvantages are that it does take longer than the next procedure I’ll describe; one may not like wearing the trays; and the patient must come in to the office several times.

The final approach is what’s called in-office whitening. The patient is in the chair for approximately one to one and one-half hours while we apply a highly concentrated solution to the teeth at intervals. The advantages are that one gets an instant result. The disadvantages are that the patient must be in the office for the aforementioned time; the result can’t be monitored, meaning that "you get what you get" (although we often augment it with at-home trays); and it’s the most costly of the three.

As I said above, they all work. They all also can cause short-term sensitivity to the teeth but which always disappears within a day or two.