Your Ridgetown Invisalign® Provider
At Ridge Smile Dental Clinic, our Ridgetown dentist offers teeth whitening with both at-home and in-office treatment options to help our patients brighten their smiles.
What is Professional Teeth Whitening?
Professional teeth whitening is an effective and safe way of removing stains and lightening the colour of your teeth.
As you age, your teeth will become more vulnerable to staining caused by food and other substances. Particles from these substances are naturally attracted to the enamel of your teeth, and tea, berries, coffee, tobacco and dark sodas are notorious for staining teeth.
The bleaching agents used during the teeth whitening treatment process are designed to reverse these effects of aging and staining, lightening the colour of your teeth.
How Teeth Whitening Works
Teeth whitening uses bleaching agents that are peroxide-based. Oxygen acts on the tooth enamel as the active ingredient breaks down, creating the whitening effect.
In-Office Teeth Whitening in Ridgetown
Teeth whitening, when performed in-office, takes about two hours. Firstly we place a barrier around your gums to protect them during the procedure. Them we apply a thing layer of gel and chemically activate it on each tooth. We repeat this process a few times until we have achieved your desired shade of white.
Take-Home Teeth Whitening in Ridgetown
At Ridge Smile Dental Clinic, we offer at-home whitening options so that you can whiten your teeth in the comfort and convenience of your home. Custom whitening trays are created specifically for your smile. Your dentist will also provide you with thorough at-home instructions to follow during your course of treatment.
Teeth Whitening FAQs
Read the answers to our most frequently asked questions about teeth whitening at Ridge Smile Dental Clinic.
- How long do the effects of teeth whitening last?
Teeth whitening isn't a permanent solution for whitening your smile.
If, after treatment, you continue to expose your teeth to food and drinks which cause staining, you will most likely begin to see the whiteness of your teeth fade after a few months.
If you avoid these foods and drinks after your teeth whitening treatment, you may just need a touch up after a year or so.
- Does teeth whitening make teeth more sensitive?
Sensitivity is a short-term side effect to teeth whitening. For most patients it fades away within a few days after a whitening session.
To minimize your discomfort after and during the treatments, we recommend that you use ant-sensitivity toothpaste prior to and after your treatment for at least two weeks.
- Do teeth whitening products work on all stains?
Yellow and brown-coloured stains respond the best to teeth whitening treatments.
Grey, blue and purple-coloured stains tend not to respond to whitening at all. For teeth with these types of stains, patients may be better candidates for cosmetic treatments such as veneers or dental crowns.
- Does teeth whitening work on dental restorations?
Unfortunately, teeth whitening only works on natural teeth. It is ineffective on existing dental restorations like crowns or veneers.
If veneers or crowns are part of your treatment plan, teeth whitening should take place before you receive your dental restorations.
- Will teeth whitening damage my tooth enamel?
If used under the supervision of a qualified dentist, it is very unlikely that teeth whitening will damage your dental enamel.
Always consult with your dentist to confirm that you are using any teeth whitening products safely.
- Does insurance cover the cost of teeth whitening?
Dental insurance does not usually cover the cost of teeth whitening because it is a purely cosmetic procedure with no health benefits for your teeth.