It appears as though nothing is more desirable than a beautiful smile since the teeth whitening industry is now surpassing $300M per year.
Regardless of all the new products and fads, professional bleaching, using high-quality professional strength gel and professionally made trays, is still the most popular and the most successful method of whitening teeth. No method of whitening provides better results than bleaching, and it’s the method that provides the most lasting results (short of permanent veneers).
Professional strength home bleaching has helped countless number of people increase their confidence by giving them a more whiter smile.
For a patient with extremely sensitive teeth, a high level of man-made tooth surfaces, or in need of basic dental maintenance, their dentist should decide if their teeth are healthy enough for bleaching and to recommend the best bleaching process a client should choose for comfort and best result.
Almost every patient can achieve results from whitening using a high quality professional-level bleach such as the 20% and 33% carbamide peroxide gel solutions provided by Shine:
1. Clients with any type gum disease should refrain from using any type of teeth whitening products. Clients should be extra careful to keep the bleaching gel from touching any part of their gums. However, remember that a good set of custom fit trays, or careful application with a teeth whitening pen helps to keep gel away from the gums. Remember that 50% of the whitening action happens in the first 15 minutes of treatment, so there is no need to risk sensitivity pain by using bleaching trays for more than 15 minutes at a time.
2. If bleaching gel leaks out of the tray, the client should wipe it away with a tissue. If any part of the gums appear “white” from exposure to gel when the trays are removed, there is nothing wrong and no reason for concern. Other than possible sensitivity, the gums won’t be harmed by the gel and will return to their normal pink color in a few minutes. However, the white appearance is a sign that too much gel has been applied to the tray, and the client should use a lighter application in the future.
3. Teeth bleaching procedures are usually not covered by dental insurance. However, at $99 for a full custom fit bleaching kit – or $20 for a whitening pen – patients are happy to gain these professional products at a fraction of what their dentist would charge them.
4. Any man-made tooth material will not be further whitened by the application of bleach. This is most important to remember when a client has tooth-colored fillings on the front surface of teeth. While they can and should maintain the color of their teeth post filling, clients should take care to emphasize the spaces between teeth most fully, where darkening happens first, and to avoid making the teeth whiter than the embedded fillings.
5. Bleaching toothpastes are helpful to a teeth whitening program since they can remove smaller stains, but using toothpaste alone does not permanently or dramatically improve the color of teeth.
6. Whitening doesn’t produce the same level of result for everyone. In particular, teeth that are yellow or gray due to antibiotic will be more limited in their improvement and in extreme cases may only be improved through the application of permanent veneers.
7. Patients should have any cavities filled before bleaching.
8. Shine’s professional whitening kits, which are identical to a dentist’s bleaching kit, contain a much stronger peroxide than the products available over-the-counter, which typically contain peroxide in only a 2-4% strength. This means that a professional kit will be far more effective than what your clients can get on their own.
9. Regular dental maintenance is still required for the continued look and health of your smile. Whitening does not take the place of a professional cleaning.
10. For clients who are pregnant – no study has ever indicated a risk of danger to mother or child of carbamide peroxide teeth whitening (although extra care should be taken to be sure the gel is never worn during naps or accidentally ingested). However, for maximum caution, you should advise any client who is expecting to follow their doctor’s advice before using any teeth whitening gel.
Shine Teeth Whitening offers custom teeth whitening services and products for medical spas, laser centers and cosmetic medical offices. Shine gives physicians the ability to provide custom teeth whitening services and products like teeth whitening kits and pens.