Your Whitening Questions Answered

In the modern world, often driven by looks and appearance, having a beautiful smile has become a crucial element of every day interaction. Having a bright attractive smile has been shown to contribute to success in business and in personal life as it immediately shows youth, happiness and warmth while subconsciously projecting health and vitality.

Here are just some facts from recent studies about the effects that a bright smile has on people around you:

1.  99.7% of adults believe that a white smile is a very important social asset
2. 96% of adults believe that a beautiful smile makes a person more attractive romantically
3. 74% believe that a person’s unattractive smile will hurt them in business and effect their career success
4. A brighter smile is #1 when it comes to making changes about one’s appearance

When it comes to discoloration of teeth multiple causes have been found. They include:

1. Genetics
2. Dark and highly colored foods such as red wine, coffee, tea and blueberries
3. Certain medications such as antibiotics
4. Age and dental treatment such as Root Canal therapy
5. Smoking
6. With so much emphasis being placed on looks, especially the importance of a white smile, the demand for teeth whitening has sky rocketed in the last decade.

But what are the types of teeth whitening.  And, most importantly, which is the right one for you?

There are two basic ways to whiten your teeth: an in office professional whitening system and the take home do-it-yourself type.

In Office whitening

This is a preferred method for several reasons. Typically the whitening agent here is 29% hydrogen peroxide. This is very strong and whitens fast. Since the concentration of the agent is very high it can be quite abrasive, therefore isolation is provided for gums, cheeks and tongue. Inoffice whitening is done in a controlled environment where risk of damage to oral tissue is virtually eliminated. Furthermore, because of the strength of the whitening agent you can achieve dramatic results in under an hour.

Take Home whitening

This is done by fabricating custom trays and applying the whitening gel directly on the tray surface. The trays are usually worn 1-2 times daily for two weeks. Some people choose to wear the trays overnight. Typically the gel concentration will be lower for this method of whitening, however a certain amount of this gel will usually be swallowed during the whitening session. At this time there is no conclusive evidence showing what kind of effect hydrogen peroxide has on organs such as stomach, however the potential for damage should not be underestimated.

I hope this information has been helpful. If you are not completely happy with your smile or simply want to make a few changes get in touch with us. I’ll be happy to meet with you and work on Creating your Perfect Smile!  Contact me, Dr. Veronica Greene at 212-832-0004 or log on to: www.truimagedental.com.  You can also email me at: patients@truimagedental.com