Are There Advantages to Involving a Dentist for Cosmetic Teeth Whitening?

Today, there are many approaches you can use to whiten and brighten the appearance of your teeth. With various online sources to cite, it is becoming very convenient to do many things by yourself. However, when it comes to caring for your health, isn’t consulting a doctor always the best approach? For your dental health, there is a big difference between do-it-yourself approaches for whitening teeth and involving a dental expert in your teeth whitening transformation.

What Does Teeth Whitening Entail?

Teeth whitening entails the removal of stains on teeth and generally improving any discoloration thereof. Some of the patients who need teeth whitening treatments at ​Smiles by Dr. Patel have significant stains on some of their teeth, while others have a general yellowing that dullens their smiles. Either way, teeth whitening should result in a drastic improvement in the color of your smile.

​Dentists in Ajax, ON, do not use one single approach for whitening teeth. Depending on your preferences, your dentist may suggest a treatment for teeth bleaching or employ cosmetic teeth whitening in Ajax, ON, that involves composite bonding or dental veneers. Such are reasons why you need to talk to a teeth whitening dentist before you decide to whiten your pearls to meet your dental expectations.

What Does Professional Teeth Whitening Entail?

When you talk to your dentist about professional teeth whitening, it typically involves a bleaching process for the enamels of your teeth. It is the most common approach for whitening teeth in dentistry. The initial step will entail a dental exam to check the state of your oral cavity, followed by a dental cleaning session to remove plaque and tartar. Afterward, the teeth bleaching process can commence.

Your dentist will use teeth stain removers in the form of whitening strips, gels, or paste. When applied to your teeth, the whitening agents should break down the stains on your teeth, hence bleaching your enamel. The dentist will use a handheld laser tool to activate the bleaching process. After a couple of seconds, the dentist wipes off the whitening product to check the progress of the bleaching process. He/she may repeat the steps 3 to 4 times to achieve the shade of white you desire for your smile.

Other Methods of In-Office Teeth Whitening

If you do not prefer the bleaching process, you can choose a different alternative, like getting veneer teeth or composites. For composite bonding, your dentist will roughen your teeth with a conditioning liquid, reading them for dental bonding with composite resins. Afterward, the resin material is hardened and polished to match the glare and finish of your natural teeth. Veneer teeth require more preparation, where part of your enamel is removed to make room for the veneer to be attached to your tooth with dental cement.

Technically, veneers and composite resins are used as quick fixes for patients with stubborn stains on teeth. Ideally, such stains do not respond well to bleaching and are better covered up with composites of veneer teeth. However, some patients just prefer veneers and composites as a quick solution to several cosmetic issues with their smile, including the color.

Why Do You Need a Dentist for Teeth Whitening?

Regardless of the alternative you choose for whitening your teeth, you should allow a dental expert to intervene in your teeth whitening treatment. Other than the versatility of options, other reasons why you need your dentist include:

1. To boost your oral hygiene – through a dental cleaning session, your dentist will tremendously improve your oral hygiene by removing plaque and tartar, especially along your gum line.
2. For high safety measures – the whitening products for bleaching the enamels of teeth can be harmful to both your gums and teeth if used improperly. A dentist knows better than to expose your gums to the bleaching agents without protecting them first. Besides, using high-quality products with regulated concentrations of bleachers will protect the enamels of your teeth.
3. Immediate results – you will leave the dental clinic with whiter and brighter teeth than when you came in, without having to wait for a day or week before you see your desired results.
4. Longer lasting results – compared to natural at-home results. Professional teeth whitening lasts anywhere between 6 and 12 months before you need a repeat procedure. Composites and veneers last even much longer than all other teeth whitening approaches.