Bronx and Riverdale residents have always expressed a desire to have beautiful white teeth. With more people working from home, pearly whites have been flashing on Zoom screens across the globe, emphasizing desires for dental whitening.
Luckily, many teeth whitening systems are available, including over-the-counter whitening toothpastes, gels and the most powerful whitening agents used in the dental office. Teeth whitening is ideal for people who have healthy teeth and gums. Individuals with yellow tones to their teeth respond best. However, this cosmetic procedure is not recommended for everyone.
Tooth Whitening Options
Teeth Whitening Toothpastes
All toothpastes help remove surface stains because they have mild abrasives. Some whitening toothpastes contain gentle polishing or chemical agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Whitening toothpastes can help remove surface stains only and do not contain bleach. Over-the-counter and professional whitening products contain a hydrogen peroxide formula (a bleaching substance) that helps remove stains on the tooth surface as well as stains deep in the tooth. These modalities may get improvement in a few weeks of daily use.
For people who want the quickest and most effective results, Dr. Taller can evaluate you for in-office one-session whitening treatment. The powerful whitening agents will bleach your natural teeth to brighten your smile. Whitening agents will only whiten natural teeth, so patients with dark crowns or other dental restorations may need to replace them.
Your one-visit in-office tooth whitening experience
Once you’re comfortable in the dental chair, Dr. Taller will insert a lip retractor into your mouth to give him easy access to apply the whitening agent to your teeth. The dentist will then cover your gums with a protective gel that protects your gums from the bleaching chemicals. Dr. Taller may also apply a desensitizing gel to your teeth to lower post-operative tooth sensitivity.
Dr. Taller will then apply a professional strength whitening formula to your teeth. The hydrogen peroxide-based formula can penetrate the porous outer layer of your teeth and pull out the stain using a chemical reaction called oxidation.
Dr. Taller uses a few application cycles of the gel with a bright activation light. This optimizes whitening strength and effectiveness. Once complete, Dr. Taller will show you the new shade compared to your old shade. On average, our patients achieve 5-10 shades brighter in just 40 minutes! Some patients may experience transient tooth or gum sensitivity after whitening, which resolves within 1-2 days, but Dr. Taller recommends brushing with a desensitizing toothpaste to alleviate symptoms. Here’s a video of the process:
To maintain your bright smile, you should limit staining foods and beverages in your diet such as coffee and smoking. Dr. Taller may also recommend a professional home whitening kit. These kits have a lower concentration of bleaching agents than what he uses in his office but work well to maintain your level of whitening outside of the dental office.
See Dr. Taller to evaluate if dental whitening is right for you and to discuss all treatment options such as over-the-counter agents vs. in-office whitening. Taller Dental is located at 3601 Waldo Avenue, Riverdale, NY 10463. Call 718-543-3704 to make your appointment or schedule online.
