Dental Cosmetics

Getting your teeth whitened is a fast and simple way to enhance the appearance of your smile. Unwanted discoloration of the teeth can be treated both in our Bradenton and Sarasota offices and using dentist-prescribed at-home treatments. There are a variety of options when it comes to teeth-whitening, ranging from gentle pastes to stronger, chemical whiteners. The gentle whiteners tend to remove minor discoloration from the surface of the teeth while stronger treatments can remove deeper stains. Whitening toothpastes are the gentlest option. Instead of using chemicals to whiten the teeth, they buff and polish the teeth. Though they may whiten the teeth a little, over the course of a few days or weeks, chemical products tend to be more effective. At-home whitening treatments are stronger than toothpastes and are usually meant to be used over the course of a few weeks. They usually contain peroxide which lightens tooth enamel below the surface of the tooth. There are a variety of application methods including teeth strips, rinses, and brushes. There are also custom trays which are fitted to your upper and lower teeth. A peroxide gel is applied to the trays for each use. In-office treatments are the strongest whitening treatment because they involve a more concentrated amount of peroxide. They are also therefore the fastest method. The process can whiten your teeth in as little as one hour. Your dentist will apply a thin layer of protective gel or rubber over your gums, so they are not irritated by the peroxide before administering the treatment. Because whitening is ineffective on artificial teeth and tooth repairs such as veneers and crowns, it is a good idea to get your teeth whitened before you have one of these restorative procedures. That way, the material used in repairing your teeth may be color-matched to your bright freshly-whitened smile.