-WHAT DOES THE WHITENING PROCESS INVOLVE?
Teeth whitening is one of the most popular procedures done in cosmetic dentistry today. In a little more than one hour your teeth can dramatically become up to eight shades whiter than before. Here at Bartell Dental, we use the revolutionary ZOOM 2 Whitening System. It is very safe, effective and perfect for anyone looking for immediate results. Before initiating the whitening procedure, your teeth are thoroughly cleaned of all removable stains. A protective barrier is then placed around the gum line of the teeth to be worked on, to protect the gums from whitening. The power whitening gel is then applied and the ZOOM 2 plasma blue light is directed toward the teeth for about an hour.
-WHY DO TEETH STAIN AND WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR WHITENING?
There are many reasons that make teeth get stained and discolored. Constant exposure to colored elements such as tobacco, tea, coffee, red wine, coca cola, etc. will accelerate and prolong the staining process. Other stains, like tetracycline stains, will greatly improve with whitening but will not totally disappear. Candidates for whitening usually have the following characteristics:
-very good periodontal health; no bleeding or receding gums
-tolerate temperature extremes well; no sensibility to hot and cold foods
-no prior dental restorations on teeth to be whitened; whitening will not work on crowns or bonding
-the desire to maintain your newly achieved color for a long time; whitening requires great maintenence at home by using whitening toothpastes regularly and cutting back on foods and beverages that pigment your teeth.
-WILL TEETH BECOME "WHITE AS MILK" WITH WHITENING?
A few myths associated with whitening exist. Many patients expect their teeth to become "white as milk" after having this procedure done on them. This is totally false. Natural teeth will never reach this level of whiteness even if 100 whitening procedures are done to them. White teeth that are seen on T.V. are achieved by porcelain crowns or porcelain veneers. But after the first treatment, your teeth will become noticeably whiter and brighter, up to 8 shades in some instances. |
