Are you unhappy with the overall appearance of your smile due to awkward stains and discoloration? You don’t have to suffer from embarrassment! Spring Branch TX cosmetic dentist Dr. Chavez and his Spring Branch Dental Care office offer an affordable teeth whitening solution that can improve the look of your smile, comfortably.
We here at Spring Branch Dental Care want you to have the best looking smile possible, and we strongly believe that anyone looking for a relatively quick way of improving the aesthetic of their smile should consider teeth whitening. We are proudly serving patients in the greater Spring Branch, Boerne, Bulverde, Blanco, Canyon Lake, and the neighboring areas.
If you are interested in bettering the appearance of your smile, call us at: 830-461-6655 or schedule an appointment online so that we can determine whether teeth whitening or a combination of cosmetic dentistry treatments is right for you.
What is teeth whitening and why should I consider it?
Quality dental hygiene, flossing, and frequent brushing can maintain your overall oral health, but sometimes it just isn’t enough to keep your teeth white and looking like new. Over time the enamel surface covering your teeth is worn down due to extended use and age, becoming more transparent and more likely to become stained or discolored by eating and drinking.
Teeth whitening is a way of treating the surface of your teeth, re-coloring them to the shade that you desire. There are a variety of methods used to whiten teeth, including: in-office whitening, take-home whitening kits, and our Whitening for Life program.
What is In-Office Whitening?
In-office whitening consists of a visit to your Spring Branch TX teeth whitening dentist, Dr. Chavez, and the application of a fairly high-concentration peroxide gel to the surface of your teeth. The applied peroxide gel sits on your teeth for several 15 to 20 minute intervals for up to an hour. Those patients with particularly stubborn or darker tooth staining may be advised to return for an additional bleaching session(s), or may be asked to continue the whitening process using a take-home system.
What is Take-Home Whitening?
Take-Home whitening consists of materials similar to those used in our in-office whitening system, such as peroxide gel and rubber stops to keep the peroxide from touching your gums. The main difference between take-home whitening and the in-office variety lies in the concentration of the peroxide gel (it is much lower for the take-home kit) and the fact that you do not have to see your Spring Branch dentist.
What is the Whitening for Life Program?
Spring Branch Dental Care is proud to offer our loyal patients a special appreciation program, which provides patients who take oral hygiene and dental health seriously and attend regularly scheduled cleanings with free teeth whitening trays and materials. Long story short, if you maintain good dental health, Dr. Chavez will help you whiten your teeth! How many other Spring Branch dentists do that?
How white can your teeth get?
Teeth whitening results can vary considerably from person to person, based upon how discolored or stained their smile is. Many of our patients have been immediately delighted with the results of our whitening programs, while others have been a bit disappointed that it would require a lengthy amount of treatment.
Before you start any treatment, we request that you please speak with Spring Branch TX dentist Dr. Chavez and his staff for a realistic idea regarding your whitening results and how long it should take to reach them. Expectations play a key role in the process, and we want to ensure that you’re thrilled with the entire experience!
Teeth whitening Risks
Teeth whitening treatments are usually safe when procedures are followed as directed by professionals like those at Spring Branch Dental Care. However, there are a number certain risks associated with teeth bleaching that you should be aware of:
- Sensitivity: A temporary increase in sensitivity to temperature, pressure and touch can be caused by the bleaching procedures. This is more likely to occur during in-office whitening, where there is higher-concentration of bleach. Some people experience spontaneous shooting pains down the middle of their front teeth.
- People who have gum recession have the greatest risk for whitening and bleaching sensitivity. Significant cracks in their teeth or leakage are a result of faulty restorations.
- Whitening sensitivity usually doesn’t last longer than a day or two, but there have been cases in which it persisted up to a month. A toothpaste containing potassium nitrate for sensitive teeth is recommended by some dentists.
- Gum irritation: Gum irritation resulting from the bleach concentration or from contact with the whitening trays is experienced by more than half of those who use peroxide. This type of irritation usually stays around for a few days, dissipating after bleaching has stopped or the peroxide concentration lowered.
- Technicolor teeth: Bonding, dental crowns or porcelain veneers and other restorations are not affected by bleach, and will keep their default color while the surrounding teeth are whitened. This result of this is frequently called “technicolor teeth.”
Maintaining Your Whiter Smile
To keep the result of the newly whitened teeth, Dr. Chavez recommends:
- At-home follow-up or maintenance whitening implemented immediately or performed as infrequently as once a year.
- For at least a week after the initial whitening, avoid dark-colored foods and beverages.
- Sip dark-colored beverages with a straw when possible.
- Brush and floss after meals and at bedtime. Maintain general good dental hygiene.
Cautions:
- A number of caveats should also be considered before undergoing teeth whitening:
- No amount of bleaching will yield unnaturally white teeth.
- Sometimes it takes approximately two weeks after bleaching to see the results of whitening. This is an important to know if you are about to have ceramic restorations and want to be sure the color is the same as your newly bleached teeth.
- Tooth-colored restorations will likely need replacement after bleaching to avoid the technicolor effect.
- Recessed gums often reveal their yellowish root surfaces at the gum line. That yellow color has proven difficult to bleach.
- Pregnant or nursing women are advised to avoid teeth-whitening. The potential impact of swallowed bleach on the fetus or baby is not yet known.
If you are interested in Invisalign, or any one of our cosmetic dentistry procedures, please schedule an appointment with us online today or call: 830-461-6655. We accept patients from Spring Branch, Boerne, Bulverde, Blanco, Canyon Lake, and the neighboring areas, so contact us today!
